“It’s never too late. It’s never too late to start over, never too late to be happy.”
It’s 2020. Over a month into 2020. It’s taken me that long to figure out some personal goals for the year. Business goals come fairly easy (and we have a lot of fun things coming for you!) but it’s far too simple to gloss over what I need in my personal life. One of the biggest things I realized I need this year is exactly what we preach, MORE TIME OUTDOORS.
Last year I got away from the heart of who we are at Happy People Hike. Not that the company lost its heart, if anything I’d say the exact opposite, we really grew into our mission and solidified our spot in this outdoor world. Rather, I personally lost touch with the core of who I am, what I believe and what I need to feel whole. I was busy. I was busy being busy and I was choosing to spend any extra time and energy on things that simply numb or distract (TV, mindless scrolling, alcohol). I was tired ALL THE TIME. I opted for the couch instead of a stroll with the dogs or a quick hike in the park that is literally across the street from my house. All of this took a toll on my physical and mental health. Significantly more so than I think I’m letting myself believe right now.
I’m sharing all of this because I know we’ve all been there. We know what we need to feel good but we don’t do it. We get wrapped up in modern day life and end up losing a bit of ourselves along the way. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s OK, and that it’s never too late to get yourself out of whatever slump you may be in. Having some grace for yourself will go a lot further than beating yourself up about it. So, I’m starting my journey back today. And the part of that journey I’d like to continue to share with you all is my return to the outdoors. To smaller, local hikes, some longer ones on the weekends and hopefully a few trips here and there. I know I need time outdoors and physical activity to feel good and to be my best self and I’d suspect most others do too, even if they don’t know it.
If you can relate to any of this or are just curious how my journey goes, follow along! I’ll be using Instagram stories to share how I’m getting myself back outside and will do a few blog posts along the way. If you have any suggestions or words of encouragement, I’d love to hear them! Drop them in the comments below.
-Alison
