🌳 Clear your head and move

September 20, 2024

Stay on Top series, episode 1: Do you intentionally create a space of quiet? For just you and your thoughts? I walk. It’s my happy place. It’s where I reflect and gain clarity. It’s where I compartmentalize my life. It’s how I stay on top.

Clear your head and move—what does that even mean for you? This is the first practice in my “Stay on Top” series, something I apply every day. In this video, I’m going to focus on three key elements: move, reflect, and gain clarity. As we go through the video, you’ll see that there’s quite a bit of overlap between them.

Hi, if you’re new here, I’m Jill, and this channel is all about finding ways to do life right, with more of a focus on work-life balance. If you enjoy the vibes, the content, and the “Stay on Top” series, please hit the like button and subscribe. Now, let’s dive into it.

First, let’s focus on “move.” What is it that you do to hit that reset button? For me, it’s walking. I love walking, and it’s one of the first things I do every morning. Walking gets me up, helps me think, and sets the tone for my day. It also allows my mind to wander, which I’ll talk more about in a bit. I also enjoy cycling, doing yoga, and occasionally Pilates. However, those activities don’t allow my mind to wander as much as walking does, and I like my mind to wander—it gives me the space to be creative and focus on what’s important.

For me, walking in the morning gets me out of bed, and I actually look forward to it. I even anticipate it the night before, making it easier to get up in the morning. On days when I don’t walk, I notice that I feel more lethargic as the day goes on. If the weather’s bad and I can’t walk, I’ll do yoga, but during yoga, my mind tends to stay quiet, which is also good for my brain. However, I prefer when my mind wanders because it helps me think more creatively.

Now, let’s move on to “reflect.” When I walk, I intentionally leave my earphones at home—no AirPods, no music. I want to create a space where there is no external stimulus, allowing my mind to wander freely. You know when you’re in the shower and you suddenly have an amazing idea, but there’s nothing to do except try to remember it for later? That happens because you have no distractions. Wouldn’t it be great to intentionally create more space to think like that? Well, walking does that for me.

When I walk, I reflect on my week so far, or the week ahead, or even just my day. I shuffle around my priorities, and once I’ve done that, I focus on my to-do list. I ask myself: What’s the easiest way to get this done? Who do I need to talk to? How should I prioritize certain tasks? Walking helps me think strategically and organize my thoughts.

What about you? Do you have a time during the day where you zone in and zone out like I do? Do you reflect in the morning, at lunch, or at the end of the week? I’d love to hear what works for you.

Finally, let’s talk about “gaining clarity.” Like I mentioned earlier, these three areas—move, reflect, and gain clarity—overlap. When you’re in that space, without any distractions, you can focus, reflect, and naturally gain clarity. You might prioritize your day, remember tasks you’ve forgotten, or even come up with new ideas. If you don’t already do this, do you think it could provide value if you tried it?

I’ve been doing this since 2020, when we were limited to just one walk a day due to the pandemic. I started walking every morning before work, and it provided so much value that I haven’t stopped since. This is the first practice in my “Stay on Top” series, and it sets me up for success daily and weekly. To be honest, I’m not sure what I’d do without it if someone took it away from me.

Thanks for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye!

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