Now that spring is here, and summer is within reach, it is the perfect time to start motivating yourself to organize your upcoming hiking season! The first step is to define your hiking goals. In my book Smart and Savvy Hiking I outline a simple plan to get started and stay motivated by “Striking a Balance”.  

Of course, starting a new plan usually involves overcoming some hurdles. The first hurdle to work through in starting a new program is to Define Your Goal. If your goal is to spend more time outdoors clearing your mind, and getting some exercise at the same time, then hiking is the perfect activity to achieve that goal. Take steps that are appropriate for you now in this particular moment in time, and then you can build upon this and grow your own program. 

“Maybe all you can imagine right now is a 30-minute stroll at a local park two times a week. But you can envision a daylong excursion in the woods nearly every weekend by next spring. To get there from here means prioritizing, commitment, persistence, and follow-through.” (excerpt from Smart and Savvy Hiking, pg 16)

One of the most important factors in achieving your goals is follow-through. If you continue to actively do something to work toward your hiking goals, you are pretty much guaranteed to be on a path closer to achieving your desired results. 

We will go over the next four hurdles in this sequence in upcoming posts.