Remember as a kid when parents and teachers would encourage playing outside and getting some “fresh air?” While in some cases it might have been a tactic giving the adults a well-deserved break, the true value went deeper.
There was always a release-and-capture effect involved:
The antsy wiggles in the hard desk chairs, or the vacant stares toward the bright windows, were instantly erased with the first booming step through the recess exit. Released at last!
Upon return, a deeper breathing quieted the room a bit. The little faces sometimes glistened with sweat, showcasing new color on their rosy cheeks. Captured calm at last!
This effect is a brilliant tool in letting go of jumping thoughts, and calling forth a clearer mind. Classroom management of this sort prepares the soil for planting the learning seeds. It is essential for any meaningful growth at all.
So, why would that ever change for us as adults? I don’t think it does.
Hiking and walking have been instrumental not only to my survival as a person, but to my growth as a leader. I crave this time and respect the significance it brings me. There’s a certain clarity that comes to me through quiet time in nature. Such activity is not limited to the physical aspect alone. Being outdoors opens my thinking and invites meaningful contemplation. Knowing this fact has shaped the work I do and the message I share with my clients.
As part of my two-day leadership program, a hike or nature walk on the second day helps synthesize the material, emphasizing the real points for each leader. It is often the highlight of the participant experience. Since I’m based out of the Phoenix area, and my hikes are mostly in the desert or surrounding mountains, I call this segment, “Time in the Desert.”
The activities, approach, and path are all designed to ignite the individual’s best thinking. Customized lessons and prompts fill the “Time in the Desert” segment. After all, isn’t that what lives in a person’s head?
I’ve lead many groups through this quiet, personal experience and the result is always special and lasting. It leaves my new friends with their minds thinking and souls stirring.
A few months back, I was asked to speak to a group of senior business leaders in the White Mountains of Arizona. This team has led their company to national success, and they continue to climb in numbers as they grow their retail stores nationwide. These pictures are from our nature walk in Pinetop, Arizona.
At the end of the session, one leader said he heard so much in his head…so much worth listening to.
That’s the point! That’s MY point!!!
We occupy a loud, confusing world. Left unchallenged, it can be draining. Regularly, we must remove ourselves from the clutter and shift our focus inward, exploring the richness of our own thoughts. This is the personal—professional guidance meant for us specifically. This is the type of thinking that fuels good leadership.
I challenge you to chase quiet and gain clarity.
So, we may not be playing kickball on the playground anymore, but why not a hike? There’s fresh air intermingled with fresh thoughts waiting for you.
Contact me to schedule a 2017 “Time in the Desert” session with your team! I’ll even come to your “neck of the woods!”
