"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"--Lao Tzu
I constantly think about this famous Chinese proverb in regards to achieving success in life.
I never thought about it in regards to actually walking a 1000 miles.
It dawned on me one morning when I was on my way to the park to take my morning 2 mile walk. I never put it in this prospective before and it intrigued me.
I thought ‘I really am on a journey of 1000 miles!’
In 500 days, I will have walked 1000 miles.
Why In The Heck Do I Walk 2 Miles Per Day??
But why am I doing it?
It started as a conversation with my uncle over breakfast a few months ago.
He is in his mid 60s and he said that he walks 2 miles every morning, even though he hates it.
This is inspired me for 2 reasons:
I’m only 46 and if he can do it at 65, so can I.
He is rich and successful and if I do what he does, I will have something in common with a millionaire.
Little did I know the benefits I would receive from taking 30–40 minutes in the morning to take a 2 mile stroll.
The Health Benefits
This sounds like stating the obvious, however, walking is good for the body. It is a low impact cardio-vascular activity that is easy to do.
It gets the blood to pumping and circulating. And since I recovered from a hernia a few years back, it is the perfect low impact exercise for me.
According to the Mayo Clinic, walking helps provide the following benefits:
Maintain a healthy weight
Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
Strengthen your bones and muscles
Improve your mood
Improve your balance and coordination
I don’t put any pressure on myself to walk extra fast or do a 10 minute mile.
I take the time to walk at a normal pace and enjoy the beauty of nature and my outdoor surroundings.
I enjoy breathing in the fresh air and letting my mind be at ease.
In addition, I credit walking as part of the reason I have been able to lose 65lbs over the past 10 months.
Improves My Mental Clarity
Walking is a subconscious activity.
I do not have to ‘think’ about walking, it’s something that I do naturally.
This allows for me to think about life or map out my plans for the day.
I also take this time to listen to personal development audiobooks and programs.
I am able to absorb this information easily and also think about the messages that I am listening to and how I can apply them to my life.
Sometimes I just allow myself to get lost in thought and let my mind be free to think on whatever problems and situations that I am dealing with.
Walking has helped improve my mental clarity by having a dedicated time every day with no pressures, worries or stress.
Just the open air, sunshine and a cool breeze and I can let thoughts soar.
Helps With My Creativity
Walking helps improve my creativity.
An array of different thoughts and ideas float to the surface of my mind while I’m out on my stroll.
I think about business ideas and solutions. I think about ideas for new articles. I think about solutions to problems I am facing.
When I have a good idea, I pull out my phone and open my notes and record it for future reference.
I had the idea to write this article while out on my 2 mile walk this morning.
Since our subconscious controls our walking, this gives me time to think and I become inspired while listening to positive personal development messages while walking.
It helps to inspire my creative thinking process with a low stress activity in a low stress environment.
I prefer walking outdoors at a local park versus walking inside of a mall or gym because I enjoy the scenery and landscape while breathing in fresh air.
If A Millionaire Can Take Time Out His Hectic Schedule..
We all have busy lives and hectic schedules and you may not see how you can fit in the time for a walk everyday.
Personally, I walk early in the morning after I drop my son off at school.
This is the perfect time for me because I can get my walk in before the start of the business day.
Your perfect time may be in the evening or mid-day during your lunch break.
However you owe it to your physical and mental health to take some time out of your busy schedule and plan some time for yourself.
My grandfather walked 3 miles a day, 3 times per week all the way into his 80s…until he couldn’t physically do it anymore.
I believe that walking and staying active is a key to longevity.
He lived to be 91.
And he was also a millionaire himself.
By walking for exercise, you will have something in common with 2 millionaires that I know and you will also improve your health, mental clarity and creativity.
Get started today on your ‘journey of a 1000 miles’.
Take your first step…
--
AnThony Legins is a life coach and mentor who enjoys writing on topics relating to mindset, money, real estate, finance and motivation. Read more articles and posts by AnThony at: www.themillionairemindset.net and follow on IG @moneymindsetnetwork
--
Have you purchased your copy of Billy's latest book "Woke Doesn't Mean Broke?" yet? because this book is being hailed as a 'financial bible' with practical and esoteric wisdom combined to provide you with a tremendous source of ideas and useful knowledge that can immediately benefit and impact your financial future.
