Earlier this month I finished a Linking Your Thinking workshop led by Nick Milo. It wasn’t my first LYT workshop, but it was my first time signing up to present a showcase about a part of my personal knowledge management (PKM) system to the rest of this cohort.

In this 9 minute video, I give you a peek into my Obsidian notes about the backyard birds I see from my window and how they helped me rediscover the joy of note-making.

People sometimes ask me why I’m a champion for outdoor coaching sessions whenever the weather allows. They wonder if being surrounded by nature might be distracting or worry that it might feel too relaxed, not like a ‘serious’ conversation about life or business.

My experience is that people think better outside. I observe more creativity, a stronger willingness to challenge their beliefs and their way of seeing the world, and a deeper connectedness to what truly matters to them.

Sometimes, when my mind is going a million miles per minute (at least, that’s what it feels like), just being out in nature isn’t enough to help me slow down and relax.

Playing with a new practice of doing (water)colour studies of things (flowers, plants, stones, snail shells, leaves, etc.) and landscapes helps me in those moments when my usual mindfulness tools aren’t enough.

Trying to mix the different colours I see slows down my thinking and helps me become present again. It’s also a fun way of creating more connectedness with the environment I’m in, observing more closely with intention vs haphazardly from a dNotes/loesvanmierlo.com/attachments/a-practice-to-calm-my-racing-mind/colour-study.webp]]

“Go for a hike” something inside me whispered.

“But it’s foggy” I tried.

“Go for a hike” the whisper repeated.

“But it’s only 6am” I tried again.

“Go for a hike” the whisper continued.

“But it’s going to rain” I tried one last time.

“Go for a hike” the whisper persisted.

So I went, despite the fog and the early hour and the rain.

The trail was deserted. The fog enveloped everything in a soft light and the leaves seemed even greener than usual.