10 Thousand Kilometers

The end of the year always brings an opportunity to make a retrospective. And while 2022 was absolutely great for me, this cannot be universally generalized, as there have been big overhanging shadows, the terrorist Russian invasion on Ukraine being the most overwhelming. Speaking of this war, it will have some positive long term effects though - the growing awareness of dependence on energy and reversing the globalization trends, to support / revitalize local communities. It is just tragic so many innocent people must die.

Back to my personal context, I have reached the goal of walking 10 thousand kilometers (over the last three years). This is both big and small, as many do multiple of that. But to put things into perspective: I walked more than I drove my car over that 3 year period. Walking as a daily exercise has become a habit which undoubtedly has good effects. And no, it is not that easy. Motivation fluctuates a lot, but when it falls, discipline takes over. Daily walks were fairly easy during lockdowns, but I was not sure if I could continue after office, and in particular - travel, would resume. So on the day of my first transcontinental post-COVID trip, which happened to be to New York, I made an evening loop around the Central Park in a snowy blizzard. Then I repeated it on the next morning. Just to prove travel does not need to be an excuse. And so it continued.

The walks also offer me the time to "consume content", either in the form of audiobooks or podcasts. And it has been a mix of fiction, documentary and professional. I particularly find the fiction part important. It kind of gives my brain a break from the daily professional matters. The oasis from the mind's racing mode, as John Cleese put in his great speech on creativity in management (this is BTW a great food for thoughts for entrepreneurs and, in particular, managers). 

On that note I wish you all having more often this "facility for getting self into a particular mood which allowed the natural creativity to function". Even if you don't invent a light bulb like Alexander Fleming did, you will find the "open mode" bringing the so much needed balance on a daily basis.