Find Your Landmark and Finish Strong
Hey everyone-
Summer is over. Fall activities are scheduled. There is more of a routine to life. How many of us remember the goals made in January or changes we wanted to make this year? Those changes and goals get lost sometimes in the busyness, distractions, crisis demands and fatigue. We come back to the spot where we wanted to go and say, “Oh, yeah I wanted to do that but got side tracked!”
I was reading an article by Terri Flint who is a retired Employee Wellness Director from Intermountain Health. She shared a story about when she got lost on a hike in Wyoming from Jackson Lake Lodge to Colter Bay Village in Teton National Park. Usually the hike is around 2 hours, but for some reason, it was taking longer this time. Assessing her surroundings, she realized that the trail was becoming fainter and her sense of direction was frustrated. She decided to call 911. The park ranger guided her back to a spot where he picked her up. She discovered she had been walking in circles.
An experiment by Jan. L Souman, a German psychologist, placed participants in a large forest area and told them to walk in a straight line in the direction indicated. Those who walked on a cloudy day with no reference points in view walked in circles, with some repeatedly crossing their own path without noticing it. In the same experiment , those who walked in the sun with a far away reference point in view followed an almost perfectly straight line. The conclusion from the scientists was that without visible landmarks, humans tend to walk in circles.
One of the easiest suggestions given is to post visible landmarks to remind and guide us to our goals. For example, if you want to go to on a cruise, put a picture of a cruise ship on your bathroom mirror. It will remind you to save money. If you want to get healthier, put up a photo of your family doing something fun. Eating vegetables is easier when it is connected to your grandkids. Wrap a card around your credit card that says “What do you want most?”
Remember what is most important to you!
Find your landmark and look to it often! Finish out 2024 Strong!
Love ya, Carrie