I’m at the gym most days. I take a variety of classes. On Wednesdays I do my own thing. I either get on a piece of cardio equipment or go for a run.

Today I mixed things up. I went for a walk around the neighborhood.

It might not seem like there should be much of a difference between going for a walk or a run, but there was.

I was still exercising and even though I was walking and not running I was definitely pushing myself. What was different was that I shut off all of the noise.

When I’m in a class at the gym there is music playing, the instructors push us and keep us motivated. I also usually take classes with friends, there’s a feeling of “we’re in this together” to keep us smiling and going.

When I get on a machine on my cardio day, I set the machine for a certain program and then put on my headphones and focus all of my attention on the television and let my legs and arms just do what they are supposed to do. On the days that I go for a run, I run along one of the courses I’ve set for myself. I put my headphones in and let the beat of the music guide me and the songs distract me.

The reason today was different is because I just went. I didn’t listen to music. I didn’t have a set route in mind. I didn’t know how long or how far I’d go. I allowed myself to just go and let myself be guided by my whim.

As I walked I found myself listening to birds and saying hi to people that I passed along the way. I thought about the cars I saw on the road and even ended up in parts of my neighborhood that I don’t usually go to. I walked up hills I didn’t expect to climb and in retrospect walked for about 30-minutes longer than I would have expected to go.

I allowed myself to just be me.

In our businesses we experience so much noise. We follow so many guides or gurus. We have coaches, mentors, friends, and accountability partners to keep ourselves motivated and on track. We are easily drawn to the newest idea and encouraged to join groups to help us push ourselves hard.

All of that is very important. I could not imagine achieving what I’ve done without guides, friends, mentors and coaches in both my personal and business lives.

Now that I’m thinking of it, today’s walk wasn’t any better or worse than what I usually do. I can’t imagine that it will change my life or business in any significant way. What today’s walk did was to help me once again realize the importance of giving myself the space to focus on me and achieve my goals my way.

I knew I wanted to get some exercise but left my normal support system, routine and what I usually use to motivate myself behind. I was left to reflect and consider what I wanted in that moment. I was forced to focus on how I wanted to do it and make myself push myself to do it.

A support system complete with guides is vital to your business. You need to listen to advice. You need support from others who are doing similar things as you are and you need outsiders, friends and family. But after you’ve heard it, take a moment to check in with yourself and make sure you are going where you want and in the way you want to do it.

During our classes, my favorite trainer always says, “You know your body, pay attention and modify if you need to.” Sometimes you need to shut the distractions and take the time to listen to what you really want or need.

So, after you’ve listened to all the other guides listen to the wisest guide of all… yourself. Take a moment to just be with yourself and consider; Are you doing what you want to be doing? Are things going the way you want them to be going? Is there something else that you could be doing that would make more sense?

How can you pay more attention to what you really want?

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