What's Happening Next? A Walk Into Now.

Preparing for my next voyage on the Camino de Santiago -- with clients, this time -- means I'm often training two hours, sometimes up to four hours a day. This month my goal is to walk 5.33 miles per day, on average, including rest days, and today, on July 8, I'm well ahead of my goal.

But this kind of training and preparation isn't just about strengthening my legs and making sure my feet don't blister while I'm enjoying the beauty of the Iberian peninsula. These long, regular times of walking in solitude also prepare my mind and soul for the stillness of the hike.

One of the best reasons to hike the Camino is that at the end of a long day's walk of 14 to 18 miles, there's nothing to do. There's no reason to hurry, because when you arrive at your lodging, the agenda looks something like this: Rest. Laundry. Eat and drink. Chat with fellow travelers. Sleep. That's it.

The challenge when I'm training at home is to not try to hurry my training. Yes, a little faster walking will get me in shape, but I've learned that whether I hustle to walk six miles or I take my time, it's still going to take 2 hours, give or take eight minutes. So I'm learning to embrace the stillness, even when there's a bigger list of chores waiting for me at home: check the P&L statements. Meet with a client. Reconnect with that prospect who has been dragging their feet, "But I for sure want to start working with you soon ..." If you're a solopreneur or serial entrepreneur like I am, you know the drill.

A few weeks ago I went for a seven miler. That's going to take about 2 hours and 20 minutes. If I hustle, 2:15; if I dawdle, 2:25. After almost two hours of not thinking, I had this sudden moment of clarity. Not something I was chasing. Not something I was even looking for. The thought was this: "Impatience is just your way of telling God that you think this present moment isn't good enough for you."

Wow. My own arrogance hit me right between the eyes. Who am I to tell the Creator of the Universe, of Time itself, that the moment I have right now is sub-par? Not up to my standards. Not rich enough or exciting or intense enough, or interesting enough. Too dull, not full of enough pizzazz.

How many days do I go through my activities: do the Wordle, eat breakfast, write for an hour, meet clients, make referrals, do business, go for my next walk, etc., and all the way through I'm constantly looking forward to what's next, instead of enjoying the moment? Kind of a lot. How often do I think how great life will be when all my kids have graduated, when the three boys are off our auto insurance and on their own, feeding themselves, when we begin to have grandchildren and the freedom to travel more ... instead of enjoying the fact that I have three teenagers, all of whom need very little from me anymore, other than that I am present, here at the house, available to them for the last scraps of daddy time.

What about times when I feel bored because our budget doesn't allow taking my wife to some fine dining on Friday night, or times when I just need to be here to make grilled cheese sandwiches so my wife can take a break and go out for ladies' night? Aren't those great moments?

Everything in life, every moment is a gift. Moments when I'm in pain, when my legs ache, moments when my favorite soccer club allows a goal and drops out of first place, moments when my teenage son says "I love you dad, thank you for coming to my game," and my daughter gives me a sweet little kiss before bed.

And moments when nothing's happening at all. Stillness. Quiet. Those moments are gifts too. Perhaps much greater gifts than moments when everything and everyone around me is going bonkers.

Too often, I'm subtle about it, but I'm acting like it isn't good enough.

I'm looking forward to the Camino, sure. But if I pay attention, I can get just as much or more out of the moments when I'm training. And that is exactly what I'm training, and hiking the Camino, for: to experience beautiful moments in the now. Perhaps we might even say that the purpose of going on Camino is that it gives us a reason to train, rather than the other way around, that the training prepares us for the Camino.