Since I started working in an office in downtown Colorado Springs, I’ve had to adjust my weekly hiking routine and look for trails close to the office. One of those areas is Bear Creek Park, and asking a “seasoned” hiker in the office what they knew about the: distances, elevation gain, loops to do, and how much time does it take to do them, etc.; he responded: “I don’t know any of these answers, because now I don’t wear a watch, carry a map, have a GPS, or even know where I’m going till I hit the trail: cause I’m now running for the joy and pleasure I get from getting out.” My response was “no, really, I need to know these answers” and I got the same response from him; which after I thought about it for a few minutes, got me asking myself, when was the last time I hiked without an electronic measuring device. And I didn’t have an answer….
In hiking, while I say I’m out there for the enjoyment of it, I’m ALWAYS tracking my time, distance, elevation, route, and looking at my phone app to track my pace. I can’t remember a time when I just went for a hike for the pure JOY of it; leaving all my tracking devices at home. As I’ve been processing this idea, I thought, maybe I could try it for a month, (no that’s too long, cause I’m tracking year over year), how about a week, (no that would mess up my monthly goals), could I do it for a single hike (well maybe). But not on the incline, cause there’s never a joy in doing the incline (that only comes when you reach the top). This reflection has made me realize, that even though I say I’m out for the pleasure of it, I am tied to my performance tracking.
In my personal life, my “numbers” are: how many friends do I have on Facebook, how many likes did I get with my last Trail Tip, did you see all 100 of the pictures I posted from my last trip? Look at all the wonderful projects I just finished on my house. And how much Joy and Pleasure am I getting from checking Facebook every 10 minutes? Plus, are all these friends on Facebook; really my friends? What have I done to connect with them on a more personal level? When was the last time I went out for breakfast, coffee, or lunch with any of them? Or even just called them to catch up on a phone call. Just like in ditching the electronics in hiking; on a personal level, I need to get back to the one-on-one personal contact and relationship building. As it’s been said; “We need to have more Face Time and less Face Book.”
In my work life, my “numbers” are how many contacts do I have on LinkedIn; how many views did I get on my last Trail Tip, how many people have viewed my profile in the last 90 days, how many new people have asked to connect with me? Yes, I know that LinkedIn is a very important part of business; but has it become just a “numbers” game to me? Have I made any effort to get to know my local LinkedIn contacts? When was the last time I ever had breakfast, coffee, or lunch with any of them? Or worse, maybe I’ve yet to meet them in person for the first time. Is my joy in the numbers or the actual relationships I need to nurture? As the title of the book from Keith Ferrazzi says “Never Eat Alone and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time”
It’s time to take a step back and look at all the numbers we are chasing and why we do the things we do. Have I (you) lost the joy and pleasure in what I’m doing? What will it take for me to go on a hike for the pure joy of it, without all the measuring devices I carry with me? Who do I need to reconnect with on a personal level over a meal or coffee? What will it take to break out of the “eat lunch at your office desk” mentality and make some new in person connections.
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Al Andersen 