Committing to something brings a quiet yet powerful reward.
Earlier this year, I realized I had stopped doing the things that truly bring me joy. I wasn’t spending time in nature, I wasn’t hiking, birdwatching, taking photos, and I wasn’t creating.
As an artist at heart, I know I can’t feel truly happy or balanced unless I’m putting some of my energy in creating something. But creativity needs inspiration, and inspiration needs space to grow.
Losing touch with what makes me happy
My mind felt cluttered, overwhelmed by life’s demands. At first, I had valid reasons, or at least I thought I had.
Last year, I was living in Queensland, Australia. Spring felt like the peak of a hot and humid summer, and I was working a physically demanding job so I wasn’t getting outside as much as I needed. Eventually, I found myself stuck in a cycle of inertia, drowning in a cup of tea, too comfortable in my uncomfortable present.
I moved to Hobart, Tasmania at the end of 2024 and finally I was feeling in my environment again (Team cold here), but I still wasn’t going outside as much as I needed to.
Returning to Nature
Not long ago, a dear friend told me, “The comfort zone is where dreams go to die,” and I couldn’t agree more. I needed to break free from the anxious, stagnant loop I had fallen into. And so, of course, I turned back to nature, my refuge.
Nature has this magical way of restoring my strength, centering me, and calling back the inspiration. So, a few months ago, I made a commitment to go on a hike at least one time per week.
The Weekly Hiking Challenge
The rule was simple: to go hiking one time per week.
The rest wouldn’t matter. I could go alone or with more people, the hike could have any difficulty, length and elevation gain. I could choose any hike I want depending on the amount of time available, my mood, work shifts and weather.
If I’m being honest I was expecting to fail at it (I am not great at consistency), but to my surprise, I stuck with it. And now, it feels very rewarding.
So far, I’ve enjoyed many hikes and I’ve only missed a few of them: One week, I skipped due to an emotional low (going outside probably would’ve helped though), another one because I picked up extra shifts at work, and also one week I swapped hikes for city walks during a trip to Sydney.
The hikes I’ve done so far
Here’s the list of hikes from my first three months of the challenge (all in Tasmania, Australia):
1. Kunanyi / Mount Wellington via Pinnacle and Zig Zag Tracks, Wellington Park
2. Cathedral Rock, Mount Montagu & Wellington Falls, Wellington Park
3. Hartz Peak, Hartz Mountains National Park
4. Collins Bonnet Peak, Wellington Park
5. Pelverata Falls, Snug Tiers Nature Recreation Area
6. Luggaboine Circuit, South Bruny National Park
7. Fluted Cape, South Bruny National Park
8. Cape Queen Elizabeth, Bruny Island Neck Game Reserve
9. Three Falls Circuit, Mount Field National Park
10. Tarn Shelf Circuit, Mount Field National Park
11. Cape Hauy, Tasman National Park
Choosing a different hike each week can be fun, but also overwhelming after a while. To make things easier I chose a hike to be my “to go” whenever I don’t have much time or I don’t want to think about where to go next, or even as a training. The Zig-zag Track in Wellington Park: short, steep, close to home and with beautiful views (when you’re not inside the clouds).
The wonderful rewards of my weekly hikes
Nature’s Healing Power
Spending time outdoors has been deeply restorative and therapeutic, my mood improved and I feel happier everytime I go hiking and the days after.
Physical Well-being
After a long stretch without consistent movement, I feel stronger and healthier.
A Renewed Sense of Pride
I feel accomplished! both when I complete a hike and even when I consciously choose to rest.
(Still working on letting go of the guilt though.)
The Return of Creativity
This was my ultimate goal and I achieved it! I feel re-inspired, re-energized, and creatively alive again.
Since committing to my hikes, I’ve been:
- Doing macramé, decorating plant pots and propagating plants to keep my home cozy
- Baking sourdough bread
- Sketching ideas for a collaboration project with a friend
- Brainstorming a new creative collab with another friend
- Writing again and making this blog alive
It feels amazing to reconnect with my creative voice and to notice how life seems to open up when I lean into what I love.
Protecting joy as a lifeline
This journey has made me wonder: why do we abandon the very things that bring us happiness?
Why do we put joy on the back burner to make space for obligations that drain us?
Maybe because joy requires presence, vulnerability, and intention, things that are hard to hold when life feels overwhelming. We forget how healing and empowering those small acts of joy can be, until we return to them and remember how they make us feel alive.
Now I see how important it is to protect the things that light us up. They’re not luxuries, they’re lifelines.
What’s next
Looking back, I’m incredibly happy I made this decision. In fact, I feel ready to take on another commitment, one that will bring even more joy and presence into my life.
I’ll keep doing my weekly hikes as an habit not as a challenge. And now I’m aiming to go outside every single day.
Keep an eye out for the next post to see how that goes!
So if you’re feeling stuck, go outside!
You just might find the inspiration and energy you’ve been missing.
