Where Does Your Energy Go?
Today will be the seventh day in a row that I have walked over 30,000 steps.
My app says I have been burning an average of1,200 calories per day.
Wow.
That’s a lot of energy, and particularly a lot of distance covered in just one week.
It would equate to about 102 miles.
If I had left my home and walked east, I would be over the Cascade Mountains, perhaps near Ellensburg, or somewhere south of Olympia.
That’s wild.
And yet, What have I actually done this past week?
Walked great distances in my hometown.
It’s been beautiful, it’s been a fun challenge, but wow, it’s a lot.
Which brings me to the topic of today’s brief post.
What gets you excited and energized?
In other words, where does your energy go when you are free to consider possibilities and do things with your time that you don’t normally get to do?
I’m not talking about sitting in front of a screen or some other type of recreational distraction, but something that excites you about the future.
What are those things that stoke your engine and create internal energy?
I hope you know what I am talking about.
I think Led Zeppelin put it very well in Stairway to Heaven when they sang:
“There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west, and my spirit is crying for leaving.”
Where does My Energy Want to go?
That’s what I spend a lot of time thinking about on these long walks. They give me time to ponder the possible paths ahead.
It comes down to timing, realistic possibilities, true commitment, and potential regret.
I’ll talk more about this in future posts.
For now, I just want to say that this is a powerful combination of factors to keep in mind when you are trying to bring something to life in your world in a sustainable way.
For Example, I’ve talked about my fascination with slow, long-distance travel in many of these blog articles. I keep coming back to it again and again.
And walking, or Forrest Gumping it, is one way to do that kind of travel.
It dawned on me that building the capacity to walk 30,000 steps per day is one way of preparing for such a trek.
But do I really, really, really want to do this?
Or does another form of travel fit better?
I’ve been scratching this itch with long-distance road trips,
but I rush to the next town and hotel stop, rarely spend more than a night there, and keep moving toward the destination.
That’s obviously not the same thing.
So what is missing?
I’m not sure.
And I’m trying to figure that out.
But let’s go back to walking to close out this article.
Part of this long-distance walking idea must be attributed to the book The 12 Hour Walk.
This weekend I asked one of the AI bots how far Colin O’Brady walked across Antarctica, how long it took him, and what his pace was.
He covered 932 miles in 54 days at a pace equivalent to roughly 35,000 steps per day, spending about 12 hours a day moving through brutally cold conditions while pulling a sled full of supplies.
Dang, that dude is one tough mother!!
Just for giggles, I asked how far I could get if I maintained my current pace of 30,000 steps per day for 54 days.
I could get to Santa Barbara, California, if I followed the West Coast.
I could get to Telluride, Colorado, if I took the mountain and high-desert route. Add another 46 miles and I could reach Durango.
Of course, it’s one thing to walk 30,000 steps per day near your home.
It’s a completely different experience to travel long distances.
Out enjoying the beauty of the place, I DECIDED to walk further than I planned on one segement, and I got caught in heavy rain and pea-sized hail on Saturday.
So, You’d better be prepared.
For example, the longest stretch between towns would become a very important consideration unless you planned to carry camping gear.
And what do I do with my guitar?!!
One of my all-time favorite books is The Hobbit.
Guess how far they estimate it was from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain?
That’s right.
About 932 miles, give or take a few.
Ah, dreams.
I love them.
It’s so fun to think about adventures like this.
But is this where my energy is best used right now?
How is the timing?
Is it a realistic possibility?
Am I truly committed to such a trek?
What will my level of regret be in 20 years if I don’t scratch this itch?
Do you see?
Spend some time pondering your energetic obsessions.
See where they take you.