I am not a very nostalgic person. I have been on a steady decluttering diet for years applying the “use it or lose it” rule – if I haven’t used it in the last year, it goes either to the trash or the donation bin. With practice, I’ve built up my decluttering muscles and find it fairly easy to decide what stays, what goes, and what not to buy in the first place. My lack of the nostalgia bone also extends to looking at old photos. I am not one to look at wedding or travel albums. But on occasion, Facebook’s “On This Day” makes me look back at what I did (and posted) years ago bringing back memories. It is a nostalgia machine that calls for reflection on those moments I’d experienced and chosen to share with family and friends.
And on this day in 2020 I was in Patagonia. Torres del Paine was my last trek before the world shut down. I haven’t been on any international hiking trip since. In February 2020, I already heard about the coronavirus, and witnessed the odd number of people wearing face masks at airports. I felt it was strange, thinking “It’s just the flu. Things would calm down within a couple of weeks.” Oh boy was I wrong. I had no inkling of what was coming. Well, a lot can happen in two years. We have been through so much. My wanderlust has taken a hit during the global pandemic. But it seems it’s now time to emerge from hibernation, pack my bags, and head off to new far-away destinations. Finally, coming up in May (fingers crossed), I will be reunited with my backpack (luckily, I didn’t give it away even though it was untouched for two years.) I will be walking the Camino Portuguese from Coimbra in Portugal to Santiago in Spin, about 240 miles.
Our lives have been forever changed by COVID-19. So, I feel so lucky to have been able to sneak in that one last trip to Patagonia and hiking Torres del Paine right before everything turned upside down. And while I am not nostalgic, I have made reflection a daily habit believing it is a fundamental tenet of learning. I find that taking the time to reflect on past experiences helps me plan my future endeavors and adventures. The prime value in looking back is perspective. Past experiences, both professional and personal, hold gems of information about what worked, what did not, and why. Looking back makes the view looking forward much clearer. But you need to do it like using your car’s rearview mirror – look back to see how far you’ve come, but don’t lose sight of what’s ahead. Thus, my action step for this week was to reflect on my Patagonia adventure to use the insights to prepare for the Camino and to create true impact in my work.
I believe that much like life; trekking is a journey with problems to solve and lessons to learn. It is about the sharpening of the mind, and the strengthening of body and soul. Three valuable lessons were crystallized during my time on the W Trek that I want to keep top of mind:
Lesson 1: The Abundance in Having Less
Hikers have a saying when packing for a trek: “ounces make pounds, and pounds make pain.” In Torres del Paine, I’ve discovered a different kind of more and the beauty of having less stuff. I had only the “essentials” but was lacking for nothing. Carrying all my possessions in a backpack offered the freedom to truly focus on what was important. I believe that the concept of shedding the extra things we carry is true in life and in business. When we work on too many projects, carrying too many responsibilities, we can cause a certain type of pain. When we carry a big load on the trail, we might suffer joint inflammation and stress fractures. When we carry a huge load at work, we create physical and psychological strain known as job stress. This is a core concept to remember – less gets you more.
Lesson 2: The strength in Being Vulnerable
Traveling and trekking involves venturing into the unknown. It forces you to adapt to new places, cultures, and people and engage in new experiences. The thing about trekking is that no matter how much you plan for it, when you are on the ground, things will always unfold in unexpected ways. It is in our struggles that we find our strength. My biggest challenge on the trek was camp showers. Being vulnerable opened the door for my friends to help me through the experience. One of my best memories of the trek is the camaraderie and the hysterical laughter at the communal showers. I’ve learned that often the best way forward is to share my fears and accept help. Sometimes, in life and in business, we feel we must power through, muscling our way trying to force things. But as I was taking a daily shower at each campsite, I’ve realized the strength in vulnerability and accepting the kindness of others.
Lesson 3: The Power of Unplugging
Torres del Paine gave me the gift of disconnecting, the ability to totally immerse myself in the experience and feel the interconnected nature of everything. In the past two years, I have forgotten the joy of completely disconnecting from screen life and the daily demands of hectic work and responsibilities. Reflecting on my time in Patagonia has reminded me how important it is to take the time and make the space to just be with myself without having my phone as a crutch. I had four glorious days away from technology meandering peacefully through mind-blowing landscapes without a care in the world. It was a valuable lesson how disconnecting can help me reconnect with what truly matters, which I need to get back in the habit of doing more often.
As I dream of and plan for new adventures, I will look back on “perils past” to optimize for future impact.
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