Connecting in Nature to Overcome Inertia

I learned a new word to describe an emotion -> “sticky”.

As I recently guided a connection hike, I started by checking in on how people are feeling. One of the women said she was feeling sticky.  It’s kind of a cross between discomfort and being unsure of how to move into a less anxious, more joyful state, but feeling stuck in taking any step forward. 

I loved hearing that by the end of the hike she felt “light, energized and more committed to having more curious conversations” which will help her take steps towards her goal to feel more centered, grounded, deeply connected, and clear on where she wants to go next professionally.

Sometimes we get so caught up in all the big things that we want to solve and what’s ahead of us, that we paralyze ourselves. This might result in overwhelm, overanalysis, or just inaction. 

I definitely have experienced this myself, especially in business. Thinking so much about the big vision of a project and where I could see it a year from now, that I didn’t even know where to begin.

But when I finally just slowed down, and asked myself…

“What is most important right now?” 

Then I can take the first step. 

And then another step. 

And slowly over time, I more positively moved forward, had more clarity on what support I also needed to ask for, and more momentum on an initiative built. 

Understanding what’s most important and why is key to effectively communicating your needs to someone else and asking for the right support!

It takes time to presence, to pause, eliminate distractions & ask yourself these questions.

That’s why I love connecting in nature. There’s always a sense of calm that I feel and so when it's quiet, it’s easier to gain clarity.

Movement immediately uplifts our energy. Getting outside to connect with others also breaks us out of our typical environment which opens us up to feeling more comfortable having different types of conversations. 

Through more real talk, we can see parts of ourselves in others, can be inspired by their interesting stories and learn new things about their strengths and passions that helps us better understand people, cultivate more authentic relationships and know how we may best support each other.  

I personally felt so enriched from this day and also the gratitude people expressed in the nourishment they felt and the deep connection with others.

“Thanks everyone for sharing openly and listening to me.  I left the hike with a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time”
- Joe, Connection Hike participant

Connection Experiences

I am passionate about helping more leaders cultivate deeply connected cultures that create happy, high performing and engaged teams.  If you are looking for ways to do this in your organization that quickly builds more authentic relationships, I am offering team offsites with nature excursions.  

I can help level-up a planned offsite or let’s create a customized experience that your team will be raving about to help you go into the 4th quarter strong! 

Connected Conversation Sparker

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: helps quickly understand what is highest priority to best focus one's energy. 

When someone is stuck, it’s often hard to see the forest through the trees.  Asking this question to them, and then just listening and reflecting back what you heard, is a very helpful way for someone to better understand this themselves, and then for you to learn what might be the most critical first step they take and what support they may need to get there.  If you can provide this help, even better!

Live & Work Connected,

Lisa