My parents used to live in a neighborhood that abutted a golf course. Many afternoons each week, my dad would pedal his bike out of the garage and head down the street to the edge of the development and hunt for wayward golf balls which he would drop into a little bag affixed to the handlebars. Some days, he’d return home empty handed, but other days, he would successfully scoop up two, three and sometimes four golf balls. Four was a really good day and he would return home, triumphant and sweaty from a successful day of what came to be known in the family as “golf-ball hunting.” Over time, he acquired a huge box of abandoned golf balls which he donated to a charitable organization that is meaningful to him.
Years went by and my parents moved to a smaller home in a community with no neighboring golf course. Dad needed a new game so he created one based on the animals he spotted while out walking. Squirrels were worth two points, little lizards were worth three points and catching a big lizard up on his hindquarters? Five points! While he walked, he kept his attention focused and the tally running in his head. When he returned home, he’d make a note of the date and his score in a little notebook.
Sounds silly? Nope. Like so much of what my dad does instinctively, it was brilliant. Dad’s games kept his attention focused. His mind wasn’t wandering off to his to-do list or things that were stressing him. His focus was right there and he was fully present. Also, by keeping track of his animal-spotting score, or watching the collection of golf balls grow, he was giving himself tangible motivation to keep going. With every golf ball, dad gave himself a tiny dose of dopamine, which you’ll remember can serve as our body’s natural motivator, the tiny drip of feel good hormone that encourages us to take that action again and again.
Take a lesson from my Dad, and turn your walk into a mindfulness practice while simultaneously creating a mechanism that encourages you to do it again. And again. Here are nine ideas to spark your walking game creativity:
Search for a Color. Go on a hunt to find something of a specific color. You can follow the ROY G BIV acronym if you want some inspiration. Grab a picture of everything you see in that color, and be amazed at the things you’ll notice.
Take it Down to the Letter. Each time you walk, work your way through the alphabet and strive to spot something that starts with that letter.
A Most Unique Find. Look for the most unusual thing you can find. Maybe it is a wayward flip flop, or a leaf shaped like a perfect heart.
Make Up A Story. Choose a person, home, tree, or something each day and tell yourself a story about it. Make it as rich in detail as possible. Bonus points for writing the story down in a journal when you get home. (Perhaps one day it could become a book.)
Count the Animals. Take a page from my dad’s playbook, assign number points for each animal you spot and keep track of your daily animal score.
Create a Scavenger Hunt. No matter the season, think about things you might see while on your walk and write them down. Mark them off, or take a photo, as you go and see if you can find all the things on your list.
Tune into the Music. Love listening to music while you walk? Assign moves to go along with the type of song or artist. Is it a country song? Two-step your way down the street for 30 seconds. A female artist? Do a little spin. Something upbeat? Perhaps try picking up the pace for the duration of the song.
Time Yourself. If you love to level things up and really challenge yourself, try to beat your time from a previous walk. Not only will it up the intensity, but it will also show how you’re getting stronger with every step!
Look for Awe. Research teaches that we can often discover awe on our walks simply by looking for it. As you head out on your walk, challenge yourself to find one moment of awe along the way. And, the best part, stop to take it all in.
Truly, your imagination is the only limit here. Try one, try them all, or come up with your own games. But most importantly, keep walking. You’re certain to be a winner if you do.
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