I have walked over a million steps since July. I’ve been trying to walk a certain amount per day, but I never realized it added up so quickly. No wonder I’m going through shoes at an alarming rate. I’m trying to stay balanced, I’m trying to take care – I was at a wellbeing conference earlier this week and one morning I stretched for a few minutes, jogged on the beach at sunrise, went to the gym for a strengthening workout, sat in the hot tub for 5 minutes, and did a short yoga workout. The next day, I slept in and barely made it to breakfast before the conference started, so I really do try to balance.
The conference is in a place with very few taxis or drivers. Greg and I try to walk when we can. One night, we walked about an hour to and from dinner. There was a full moon and a lovely walkway, and I was thankful just to be able to walk and move throughout the day.
And the conference is nice too – a capstone concluding activity to the physician wellbeing conference earlier this year. Last time, I arrived feeling like I didn’t belong, almost like an imposter. This time, I know most people, and feel comfortable asking my mentors for help. We celebrate together the successes we have had in our wellbeing plans over the last year, and share about wins or challenges trying to implement wellness in our workplace. I feel like I’ve moved as a doctor interested in wellbeing through steps of improvement in my own life and now I am seeking ways to improve systems around me. I wonder how much of the next year will deal with steps in that direction. I wonder how far I will get.
I have had some challenges lately – my feet started burning for the first time ever. I diagnosed myself (the dreaded plantar fasciitis) and read up on the treatment. I’ve been trying to be more moderate in activities, and more aggressive in stretching, keeping focused on long-term mobility. So I’m trying to balance my drive to achieve my number of steps with my need to stay well.
I hope and pray that this foot pain is a short-term one-time thing. It’s been about ten weeks. I praise God that I can still enjoy a good level of activity during this time, but I am trying to be wise. I wonder what my life will be like in another million steps. Will I be sticking with some new-years resolutions? Will I be back to walking with my good friends in Lilongwe? Will I be tapping through days in the clinic? I look forward the future and pray that I’ll have wisdom and balance as I take steps towards the future.