Do you know one of the most common complaints I hear from people on the nature connection journey?
I get this constantly where people say,
Brian, I just don’t have enough time to connect with nature. I want to be out there paying attention to the land. It’s really important to me, but there’s just so much happening in my life. I can’t keep track of it all!”
I hear this all the time so if it sounds like you then you’re not alone. The fact is that people are pretty busy these days. I understand that.
What I want to share with you today is how you can still connect deeply with nature, even on a time schedule.
One of the reasons I’ve been able to go as deep as I have with nature connection tools is because I’ve been pretty good at finding strategies for managing time.
Common Issues that hold people back…
I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years when I do phone mentoring.
I listen to their problems and ask them questions, share what’s worked for me, so I know the kinds of things that are sticking points.
One of the things I see over and over again is people will turn their nature routines into a really big deal. They try to create the ideal scenario, which only ends up being overwhelming.
A lot of people think that they have to walk half an hour to the perfect sit spot where they can find peace and quiet.
Then they feel they have to stay out there for hours at a time in order for it to really be meaningful.
What happens is people start to see their nature time as like this big ordeal that doesn’t really fit the flow of a normal modern life.
That’s not practical.
If you’re one of the lucky few who have hours and hours of free time to wander the land then go for it.. but that’s a pretty rare circumstance. For most of us, you really don’t have that option.
So I want to let you in on a little secret.
The Big Secret…
It’s not necessary to spend hours upon hours every day in order to connect with the outdoors.
When I was first starting out I had a full set of classes in university.
Then I got a full time job… I was a busy guy.
I still wanted to connect with nature. I knew it was important because I wanted to care for the earth.. I wanted to awaken the more primitive side of myself that was tuned in & alert to the world.
So you know what I did? I started doing my nature time right in my own backyard.
That is what your backyard is there for right?
If you read the article I posted last week then you already know the basic skills that lead to deep nature connection.
What I really want to get across today is that it doesn’t actually matter all that much where you practice.
It doesn’t matter for how long every day.
The most important thing is just to take little steps on a consistent basis.
Change Your Life In Just 5 minutes Per Day…
This is what I found when I first started on this journey.
Some days I’d be so tired I just couldn’t spend a ton of time outside.
I might only get out there for 5 or 10 minutes that day, but I made it a priority to really do the things that are going to have the most impact.
I would tune into my senses and really listen in the distance. I’d observe the birds and then I’d jot down a few notes & questions I was thinking about when I got inside.
It really can be that simple to integrate this stuff into your life.
Just 5 or 10 minutes a day is all it takes.
I started to find that being tuned in like this on a regular basis even for a short time was enough for me to start tracking overall patterns out there.
You’d be surprised how much can happen in 5 minutes of sitting outside on the front porch looking out over a grassy lawn.
The connections started to form. My senses really started to get tuned up.
Then when I had a chance to go out for a more extended jaunt, I’d get into the woods and my naturalist mindset was that much sharper.
I went deeper into my experiences much more quickly. Until I started to feel this sense of connection start to open up with the whole world around me.
Three Things To Remember
The process of connecting with nature is a very simple formula that can be applied in 2 hours a day or 5 minutes a day if that’s all you have.
As long as you remember to…
- Focus on having quality experiences in nature (4 critical deep nature connection strategies)
- Keep it simple (Minimize travel times. You don’t need the ideal spot. Start where you are.)
- Be consistent (Only do what you can. 5 minutes is enough. This should never feel overwhelming)
The only question you have to ask yourself now is do you want to connect with nature or not? If the answer to that question is no, then stop reading this and go do something you’re interested in.
If the answer is yes, then just start doing it!
Start small, start close, but start with quality. Do it everyday if you can, and if can’t then just make sure you’re doing it regularly.
Consistency over time is the real trick.. remember that one idea and you’ll be able to transform yourself from a modern urban city dweller to a wild, primordial, connected nature geek.
I guarantee it.
This Stuff Just Plain Works
Nature connection is a basic process that you can follow over and over again in order to get the results you want.
I hope this helps you understand that no matter what kind of time schedule you’re on… you can do it.
You can change your life and find harmony with the natural world.
I love that you’ve taken the time to read this and if you have any questions or comments please share them down below.
I’d love to hear what works for you to be consistent with your nature connection routines.
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