Snow Prints

I was hiking in a picturesque snow fall this past weekend and it got me thinking…

As I was making tracks, I noticed that there were similar sized boot prints in front of me.  I got thinking about who may have walked those tracks before me.  For a moment, I walked in her boot prints and quickly noticed that they were at a much smaller stride than mine. It felt uncomfortable and slow.

I stepped out of those prints and went back to my own pace which seems to measure a full footprint ahead of the existing set.  Not going to lie, for a brief second I though “WOW she’s a slow walker. I’d beat her if we were walking together.”

Upon reflection I realized that life is like those prints. Was I getting distracted from the stunningly beautiful winter wonderland I was relishing in just moments before to compete with a ghost? And so what if she walked slower, maybe she was meditating or ill or just knew how to be more present than this typical frazzled girl!

I replaced my judgement for curiosity about how our own footprints change over time and how seemingly small pace differences can really set us apart. Rather than thinking about this as competition with someone else, I started contemplating times when I had taken slower steps. Was I proud of that person going at a slower pace? Was there a reason for it? Have I slowed my steps to match those around me?

Some of the ways that you and I can both quicken our pace and accelerate our success is through goals, intentional living and habits.

• In fitness, we can accelerate those prints by adding a mile to our regular run or an extra set to our weight training.

• In sales, we can add five more calls that bring value to the client.

• In our relationships, we can turn our phones off and be fully present with our spouse so we connect on a deeper level.

• In our finances we can make those automatic withdrawals into our savings accounts, so we don’t have to figure out what’s left over to invest.

All of these seemingly small moves add up. Just like my slightly faster pace was a full footstep ahead of my winter wonderland figurative ghost, your small incremental moves can have a tremendous impact.

What small shift or change can you make today that won’t totally disrupt your world but will bring significant change once it’s compounded over time?