I was talking with a new friend this week about how he has 50 days PTO at an American workplace. 

After being initially shocked by the generous amount of time off he has, he began to share how if he knows a great day is coming up for an outdoor adventure, he’ll clear his calendar and take a day off. 

If you could clear your calendar this month and take a random day off because the weather was looking great for an outdoor adventure, what would you do? 

Circle and Spoke is all about cycling, and we also know for you- the members of our online community, you enjoy or are interested in hiking, swimming, running, skiing, rock climbing…. the list goes on! 

I’m inviting you right now to join me in a mini experiment.

But first, step away from your screen and go grab a post it note and a pen!

You’re back! Fabulous ;-)

Take a deep breath. If it’s been busy day, perhaps take another breath and really feel your body making contact with the ground or floor underneath you. Now with curiosity and kindness, ask yourself if you could clear your calendar this month and take a random day off because the weather was looking great for an outdoor adventure, what would you do? 

Write that down on a post-it!

Perhaps you need a few post-it notes because a few different adventures came to mind. That’s great!

Now, there might be some resistance to write that adventure down or for one to come to mind. Perhaps after getting clear on the adventure you want to go on, all these reasons to not go might come up. “Kayak” just came to mind for me and it’s February and I’m not kayaking in the Potomac River in winter! My mind immediately said… “that’s ridiculous.” And I kindly recognized that critic and wrote kayak down anyway.

If this is coming up for you, kindly tell the critical part of you that that you aren’t going… at least not just yet. 

Some reasons your mind might be criticizing you for your choice in adventure or you are stuck coming up with one:

🚗 You don’t have reliable transport to get to the location.

1️⃣ You don’t have someone to go with and you’d rather not hit the trail solo. 

😨You are afraid you don’t have enough experience to successfully do that activity. 

⚙️You don’t have the equipment to do it and are unsure of how to rent that gear.

📑You need to file your taxes before April and have 25 other things that are higher priority…. 

Now shake it out and go hang your post-it in a spot where you’ll glance at it a few times a day.

And when you see the post-it note, give yourself permission, if it feels right, to smile and feel a sense of adventure and excitement. 

Here are all the steps in 15 seconds!

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I am curious what 🪄 magic emerges for you. I shared my post-it note with you, so I’d love for you to email me your post-it note at [email protected] and share what comes up in the days ahead as you glance at it! 

Wheels up, 

Ellen