Those who know me know that I am a sucker for challenges (the 100 day dress challenge is an example of one I have completed). So this year I was inspired to try the 52 Hike Challenge.
I was excited to try this – a hike a week. I can do this! And then: life. OK, I’ve fallen behind. But it was only half way through the year, sure I could catch up.
And I did do some awesome hikes this year, mostly because of the goal of the challenge.
But there were other things I ended up doing on days I had meant to hike. Here’s what I did instead:
- I worked. Yep, sometimes work got in the way of a plan to hike.
- I attended family events. Sometimes my family had things scheduled on days I had meant to hike.
- I rested. There were a few times I was just too injured, sick, or tired to do the hike I had planned to do.
- I showed up for community or friends. There were a few times I meant to hike and then an important friend or community event would come up.
- I took care of my home, garden, and animals. That was honestly the biggie. I found that I had to choose between what felt like urgent or necessary or timebound home projects and getting out and hiking. These two commitments felt like they just weren’t compatible. (more on this in a future blog post). For instance, in the last few weeks here is what I did instead of hiking:
I had to move/rebuild a shelter for my goats after they destroyed their shed and were in complete danger of being eaten by coyotes if we didn’t do something quickly.
Then our sick elder goat died and I spent the next planned hiking day to dig a grave for him.
Was this week in my life a failure because I didn’t hike? Or was it a response to what life handed me? In this particular week in my life, what was important? My long term goal of hiking for the year or the very real and urgent needs of my goats? I had to choose my goats.
You may not have goats in your life. But you probably have something that may sometimes rise up as urgent and block your long term important goals. What are we all doing instead? And what does that say about us? If what is says about us actually seems pretty awesome, then why is That not the big life challenge?
(More to come about the hiking challenge and what I learned from it)
Thanks for this! Alternate paths are often required, whether we like it or not, sometimes by choice and sometimes not. Maybe riding the waves and loving ourselves along the way is the key. 🤗 Happy hiking through life while listening to your heart!
Making choices, creating balance, and using your time to what you are called to do, whatever that might be.
Someday you will have plenty of time.
I think challenges like this can be helpful tho push us to do more of something we want to do anyway. I’m not the kind of person who revels in the success of something like “I did 52 hikes this year!” But did I do more hiking? And am I inspired to hike more? That’s worth celebrating.