If you’re a mother to small children you’re likely so busy just getting through the day that there isn’t much time for self-reflection. That’s certainly understandable. Sometimes routine is essential: it provides structure to organize our days.
But sometimes we get stuck in ruts. We are so busy doing the things that make up daily life that we miss out on goodness right before our eyes.
For most of the last eight years, I’ve had a child in preschool. Fortunately for me, the fantastic preschool my children have attended is close enough to our home that I can run. Granted, it’s not really a very interesting route, and it has a lot of bumpy curbcuts, uneven sidewalks, turning traffic to be aware of, and there’s some significant maneuvering required on garbage day.
But we get it done.
I freely admit that I’ve always been proud of this efficiency. One of the hallmarks of my personal training philosophy is helping people find ways to insert exercise into their days when they feel so pressed for time that it’s easy to squeeze exercise out. Modeling this healthy behavior through the running commute has always been a way I demonstrate that I walk-the-talk. It’s my self-care rolled right into my day.
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For eight years I’ve been patting myself on the back for my boring but efficient run. This is my final year of having a preschooler, and after the hundreds—thousands, likely—of trips with the BabyJogger to preschool, I made a realization.
Find a New Path
If, after the first half-mile, I make a right turn and jog one block, I can run parallel to my old, unpleasant route for most of the way to preschool. Doing this adds only about a half-mile to my overall distance, but it completely changes the experience.
But what do I get by veering off my well-trod route?
My new path is a wide open street with little traffic. Even better, there are no curbs for me to bump up and down at each street crossing. There’s nothing but level road, free from garbage cans to dodge on trash days. The Stowaway even gets a long, clear view ahead of her rather than overhanging brush.
My new path has homes that are seasonally decorated, giving The Stowaway fun scenes to observe and comment on. It also provides me some simple joy of seeing how much fun these neighbors have in their own front yards.
And speaking of neighbors, there are often people who are in their front yards or driveways as we run by. They proffer a friendly “good morning.” This is much nicer than the cars who would honk at me on my old route when I would cross the side streets– despite pedestrians having the right of way.
It’s really unbelievable how this little change has added so much happiness to our commute.
How Finding a New Path (Literally) Can Help Me Find a New Path (Figuratively)
As I was running home a few days ago, I got to thinking:
- What other things do I do out of habit that I could change ever so slightly and increase the gentleness and pleasure in my day?
- In what ways am I stuck in patterns that, while necessary to get the stuff of life accomplished, aren’t adding joy?
- Can I tweak them a bit so that there is more goodness in my life?
My mind is racing with ideas.
Most people think running is about strong legs and a solid cardiovascular system. And while I appreciate the physical wellness benefits of running, this revelation demonstrates what I’ve always loved about running: it’s so much more than what’s happening in your body. There’s a huge element of spiritual wellness in my running habit.
Whether you’re able to see an old idea in a new way or you have a wildly productive brainstorming session on the run, running stimulates creative juices in a way that nothing else does for me. Maybe for you it’s hiking or biking or swimming or slamming ropes at CrossFit. It doesn’t matter what the activity is. It just matters that it helps you see your life more clearly. This new idea of self-care can nourish you way more than skin deep.
Hop off the well-trod path. Hang a right and see what new—and improved!—path is waiting for you right around the corner. When you find a new path, enjoy the goodness before you.
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