Work Walking

Work Walking

“Sitting is the new smoking.”
Anne Hathaway in The Intern

If you haven’t seen The Intern, which came out in 2015, I recommend it. It’s a terrific movie, with wisdom, experience, and heart, and you can even watch it with your kids. But you be the judge of that.

There’s a line in the movie, “Sitting is the new smoking,” which got stuck in my mind and, through a series of fortunate events, has greatly improved my daily life and focus. It all started when my good friend, Wayne, told me that he walks twenty miles every weekend. Wow, that’s a lot! I asked him how he did that; Wayne said that he makes his phone calls while he walks.

I began to think about that. A few years ago, we moved our office to our guest house. It’s nicer being the landlord rather than the tenant, and it cuts out the beginning and the end of the day’s commute. My assistants like it, I like it, and my family likes it. Well, it occurred to me that a lot of the phone calls I make don’t require me to be in front of my computer. So, the next thing you know, on the days it fits, I’m walking five miles a day while working.

A friend said, “That’s the ultimate multitasking.” But really, it’s just the opposite. When at my desk, there are lots of distractions, from email, piles of paper, notes, people, the phone… But when walking, there is nothing to distract me, and I am totally focused on the call and the three feet of pavement in front of me.

It’s awesome! We live on a quiet street, and so no one even knows I’m doing this, until now. Some of the neighbors may think I’m picketing without a sign, but aside from that, I would highly recommend it.

What a beautiful discovery and addition to the quality of my daily life.

If it’s feasible for you, give it a try. It might work for you too.