Keep Moving
“Whether you're out in front or just trying to hang on to the leading pack, keep moving. You might not end up where you expect but you’ll have a brand-new perspective that only comes with deliberate movement.” - Arran Kehoe
Possibly the most important thing for any of us to do is keep moving. What do I mean? Well literally move your body and engage your mind regularly and in a fashion that builds good habits that end up being easy to do and hard to break. New habits that keep us working towards new areas of interest and learning, deeper investment in our calling or profession and maintaining our engine that facilitates the work so we reach new destinations.
The opening quote sums up the importance of the keep moving concept for me. When we move, like with exercise, chemicals are released such as endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These chemicals help us feel good and regulate our mood and increase optimism, which in turn helps our phycology (our attitudes, beliefs, confidence etc.) to let us see a new way or be positive about what could be a negative situation and that we can take action and keep moving and feel-good no matter what happens.
Some people are naturally curious and always learning even unbeknownst to themselves, to always find as much new information about what they do or about anything in general. While others are not so much and need a bit more help with routines and habits to do the same. It's all good though, as no matter if it’s natural or triggered you can get the same positive result. Let's riff a little, you might be flying high at work and super busy, rolling into one meeting after the next and delivering result after result. It's all good but overtime if you don’t include “Keep moving” for body and mind your performance and mental health will plateau and then suffer. Remember that what got you here won’t keep moving you to the next destination, without time to invest in your holistic interlinked growth.
Let's rock a bit more, if you are stressed and anxious well then exercise and meditation should be at the top of your daily routine as both activities release serotonin which is the same chemical antidepressants help increase in the body. If you have never exercised then this can be hard and meditation can be a lifelong journey to master, but I've seen lots of articles where it's suggested to not overthink it and put on your runners, tie your laces and walk out the door. A nice suggestion, take that walk even if it's only for five minutes. If you can build up to at least thirty minutes of intense exercise every day, the type where your lungs are burning, this can help your mental mood up to four hours after and boom what an impact it has on your concentration levels too and your delivery output. No wonder most top performers have exercise as a part of their life.
As we age and without good “keep moving” habits then we are impacting the quality of our autumn years, at a time when we really would like to start the adventures that were perhaps put off for many years. As we age our muscle mass starts to deplete making it harder to do physical tasks we’ve done in the past, plus we need muscle for weight control and middle age spread. It's all pointing to us not putting off what you can do right now until twenty years later where catching up is now a young person's game in an older person’s body.
There are so many ways you can start new routines to form “keep moving” habits. I’m not going to suggest what specifically might work for you as we’re all different. I can tell you what I do but more importantly is to start asking yourself some “How can I?” questions. Like, “How can I start to move more and enjoy it? Or “How can I find time to read for twenty minutes each day and look forward to it? Or “What in my role/job could I spend some time reading up on that would benefit me and the team?” Come up with your own questions for your situation and let them sit in your subconscious, it does not deal well with unanswered questions so an answer will come. When the answer comes don’t over think it and get moving.
A high-level view for some of my routines leading to solid habits:
Night time journaling – Free form reflection of the day, building awareness of how grateful I am, no self-pressure or tomorrow task planning.
Morning routine – Always involves some sort of exercise, cold shower, breakfast with family and no smart phones.
First task of the work day - Prioritise today's tasks that are aligned to the weekly goals. The daily tasks also include what I call all-heart tasks to ensure I am moving and looking after my engine physically and mentally as well as self-development work like reading etc.
