The Forest Is My Notebook

We hear it all the time.

Be present.
Stay in the moment.
Put the phone down.
Focus on one thing.

And yes. I agree with that.

But I also think we’ve misunderstood what being present actually means.

Being present in one thing doesn’t mean you can’t be accomplishing other things in other areas of your life at the same time.

Let me explain.

My morning walk sets the tone for my entire day.

The forest is my creative space.
It’s my outlet.
My therapy.
My notebook.
My exercise.

It’s also where a lot of my work happens.

While I’m walking, I’m present in the walk. I’m aware. I’m breathing. I’m moving my body. I’m noticing what’s around me.

And at the same time, I’m capturing ideas.

I record short videos for my stories.
I talk into my voice notes.
I capture thoughts as they come up.

Later, when I get home, those pieces turn into posts. Or blogs. Or checklists. Or conversations.

Like this one.

This blog didn’t start at my desk.
It started on a trail.

Presence Doesn’t Mean You Have to Shut Everything Else Off

I think sometimes we confuse “being present” with “doing absolutely nothing else.”

My 1.5 year old German Shepherd X Ruby and I on our daily morning walk. Where ‘the magic happens’.

But for me, presence looks like this:

I’m walking.
I’m moving.
I’m grounded in my body.

And I’m also creating.

I’m not scrolling.
I’m not distracted.
I’m not pulled in ten directions.

This is my time.
This is my creative time.

I don’t use the entire walk to record or capture ideas. I use a fraction of it. Most of the time, I’m just walking.

But when something comes up, I don’t ignore it.

Because I know I won’t remember it later. And I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful place like Vancouver Island in the Comox Valley, where there is an abundance amount of accessible trails.

Capturing Ideas Is Part of the Process

There is no way I would remember all the things that come to me if I didn’t capture them in the moment.

That doesn’t make me less present.
It makes me intentional.

If a thought pops up that I need later, I record it.
If an idea wants to be written, I let it out.

Then I keep walking.

This goes hand in hand with how people say they get their best ideas in the shower or just before bed. That’s why so many people keep a notebook beside them.

The forest is my notebook.

You Might Have a Different Version of This And That’s Okay.

Maybe you don’t work this way.

Maybe your version is driving.
Or cooking.
Or sitting quietly with a coffee.
Or journaling at night.

That’s okay.

The real question is: are you leveraging it?

Are you paying attention to when you feel most open, creative, and clear?
And are you giving yourself a way to capture what comes up?

Why Wouldn’t I Use What Already Works?

I walk every day. Every morning. Sometimes in the afternoon too.

A lot of the content in my first book, Feels Like Home was born on these walks.
A lot of the content I share online comes from these blocks of time.
A lot of conversations I’ve had with people I care about started as thoughts on a trail.

Why wouldn’t I leverage that?

Being present doesn’t mean shutting everything else down.
Sometimes it means being so present that you notice what’s trying to come through.

And then having the sense to catch it before it disappears…

Where do your best ideas come from?

.

.

.

Michelle Gallant

Writer | Creator | Less Hustle, More Life

Cover Image Captured by: Amanda Rentiers Photography