Is it really possible to leave the world behind and find yourself?

Is it possible to leave the world behind and find yourself?

Over the last few months, I’ve been MIA from my newsletter and social media. I took ‘leave the world behind’ quite literally, it seems! On a recent hike on the beautiful Milford Track that Dean and I were lucky enough to do, I discovered there were many relatable insights into life and business. 

I know other hikers who have walked the Milford track have experienced Fiordland weather in all its beauty and fury. In that part of the world, weather can be dramatic and change quickly, so you must be prepared. Being at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island, the terrain can be challenging depending on your fitness level, as you follow rivers and then climb hills and mountains with rocky paths. Fortunately for our group, we had perfect weather for our hike.

We were in a group of 10 friends of varying ages, joining the rest of the group from Ultimate Hikes. Many New Zealanders have enjoyed seeing their own country while our borders closed over the last couple of years. Our Great Walks of New Zealand have been well appreciated by locals.

“Leave the world behind and find yourself.”

Says one of the promises from Ultimate Hikes, so at the end of the walk, I asked myself, did I find myself? This questions kept my mind busy when I was being challenged, picking my way around the rocks and terrain of the track.

In preparation, I had increased the distances I walked leading up to the trip, going from my usual 4-5 km to then 6-8-10 km, and then pushing myself to 13-14 km, so I figured I could handle the distance on the days. Still, I worried whether I was fit enough for the middle day of the hike, which is uphill in the morning to cross the McKinnon Pass and then downhill all afternoon. Bless those knees! Now we were on the right side of the pass for the last day of the hike so we could make our way to the aptly named Sandfly Point at Milford Sound.

There are tactics and strategies for conquering the hills – so we tried a few, and one that worked best was to climb for 25 mins and rest for 5mins. ( I had my apple watch on so I could see the heartbeats I was generating!) Setting a pace that you can maintain was vital. Being the oldest female in our group of 10 meant they put me at the front of our group as the pacesetter. Not where I wanted to be, but it worked well. The younger ones in our group were chatty a lot longer than I was, as I was focusing on climbing upwards and feeling my age and fitness. They too, became quieter as we ascended the pass.

To keep me busy as I concentrated on where I put my feet, I began to write a list in my head about what I was learning from this experience. All very relevant for life and business. If you’re like me and think big and then have a tendency to overwhelm yourself, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what I learned. 

Every step you take is leading you to where you want to go.

• Step by step, you get there.
•  Every step is a decision you make 
• If one step is not the best, you just adjust for the next step. 
• Head down and stay focused on your efforts because lifting your head can get easily distracted and miss your footing. 
• I can lead, and everyone is ok with the pace. Too fast, and you burn out quickly and end up going slower.
• Slow and steady is actually the fastest way. 
• Stay committed on the path until you get to the top. 
• Stop occasionally to appreciate where you are, then put your head down and refocus.

• When you think you have nothing left in the tank, you are handed a drink of milo at the top of the McKinnon Pass by one of the guides who ascended the pass like a mountain goat. It’s impressive how it resets your body! 
• No matter how high you go, you can still get stung – stay vigilant and prepared – weirdly, there were plenty of bees up on the track. 
• You are not on your own – when you are all focused on the same goal, we all go together.
• Nature puts little surprises and highlights along the way to keep you going.
• You are stronger than you know, and when you think you’ve done more than you thought you could – rest, relax, and take some “vitamin b and c.” It does the trick. (Code for a beer and a chardonnay), and then get up and do it over again.
• Leave the rest of the world behind – it’s too distracting when you are focused on your path. 

• You don’t have to do it rough to feel accomplished- you’re just a little wiser because you’ve leveraged the goal to make it more enjoyable. Thank you, www.ultimatehikes.co.nz!
• I couldn’t talk much on the way up the McKinnon Pass – I might have had an opinion about what someone behind me was saying but didn’t need to say it. A rarity for me. Besides, I didn’t have the breath! Sometimes it just pays to listen.
• Simplify things – carry less baggage. You don’t need as much as you think you do.
• It’s incredible to disconnect from other people’s agendas. 
• No matter how hard the going is, a hot shower and a cold beer will take away the pain at the end of the day.

• New Zealand has the most beautiful scenery!
• You can’t go faster than the fastest guide or slower than the slowest guide. Being average will take you everywhere you want to go.
• Sometimes you can do more than you think you can. You won’t find that out unless you challenge yourself. 
• Your pack always has room for a bit of luxury. 
• If you had to get up in the middle of the night, you were treated to an abundance of stars. There’s a lot to appreciate in the middle of nowhere.

We’d highly recommend using Ultimate Hikes if you are tempted to do one of the Great Walks in New Zealand. Their details can be found here: www.ultimatehikes.co.nz .

Do you want to use a business and mindset coach as part of your team in business and life? If so, book a free session here to learn how to up-level your results in life and business. Let’s get you back on track.

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