Dispelling Covid Myths #3892 : How you can walk & talk

This week i've broken my daily walking record twice. I was stuck on 29,997 steps for years which was bugging the hell out of me.

I've never owned a car...ever. Never saw the point. Spewing effluence into world. Losing value hand over fist...and ive always lived in major metro areas. So I walk a lot. However unless you're aiming to break records there is only a certain amount of walking you can reasonably fit into one day. However Covid has changed that behaviour

 If you're still working you're doing more work calls than ever (video x audio) For some reason people have a landline hangover that has you must be glued to your desk to do calls. I'm here to dispel that myth a total bullshit.

Tuesday I walked 41,500 steps (equiv of 20 miles) Yesterday I walked 37,200. That's circa 6 hours of calls....not all in one go...broken up into 3 x 2 hour blocks...if you have kids you're dream is stepping out for 6hrs in one stint....however I think the locks would be changed when i got home if i pulled that one ;). I also don't walk anywhere in particular. Just around the roads trying to discover new roads ive never been down.....wow I sound like i'm 80 & retired :)

So what keeps most of us locked to a mindset that we must be sedentary when speaking with colleagues or clients?

1. To desk or not to desk?

Ask yourself which calls really require you to be at your desk? No......i mean really require to be at your desk? There is only one use case and that's if you're lead or presenting. I'll give you that. Everything else you're kidding yourself. You think most people care that they're looking at you sitting down. No one does. As long as you're coherent, clear & making sense who cares if you're sitting down? or if you're walking & giving out serious upnostril shots? If you're worried about it try walking with the phone out like you're taking a selfie...it's not that hard. Worst case stop and talk directly to camera if it's an important point that requires your focus and you to be talking directly to the call.

2. I cant see the slideware :

You can read slides on the go...and yes you can read the text. Stop kidding yourself. You can walk and read. I do it. It's fine. No doubt someone is explaining the slides in audio so if you're picking up a pace you can still get the main thrust of any point

3. What about my notes?! :

If you can read on the move you can write on the move. I do it it's also fine. I don't miss anything. If it's an important point I need to capture. I stop and write that point down in my notes app then continue. If you're really worried about your reading and writing skills whilst on the move then record the call. Ensure that you let people know youre recording but it's a good backstop that you can revisit as you scratch the sides of the Netflix library. Another amazing app that I use to record calls, capture meeting notes in auto is Otter. Check it out will change your life esp at conferences.

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I'm not sure about you but walking whilst talking allows me to think more clearly. I'm getting in some baseline exercise and getting out the confines of my home office. I've been doing it for the last 6 weeks and i'm only incresingly my rhythm and cadence.

So stop being a lazy oaf and convincing yourself that you HAVE to be at your desk. You dont...and honestly know one cares as long as your in the call and present.

As Roy Castle used to say "Do you want to be a record breaker?". You can. Even if you're just a legend in you're own mind ;)

On guard!

://jc