From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, we are measuring ourselves. Steps taken, calories burned, hours slept, heart rate, productivity levels, all things made possible by recent technology. But is it worth it? Somewhere along the way, our worth became tied to how many tasks we could tick off our to-do lists, how efficiently we could optimise ourselves, and how much closer we got to some arbitrary milestone.
And sure, structure has its benefits. It keeps society functioning, helps us set goals, and ensures that we move forward. But what happens when the structure starts controlling us rather than supporting us?
I know this cycle of measured living all too well. When I was running marathons and ultra-distance races, numbers ruled my world. My worth as a runner, as a gym-goer, and even as a person felt like it was based on a time, a pace, a distance. I eventually found that I wasn’t present in any of my races, I only saw it as a step on the ladder to my next goal. If I didn’t keep going, if I didn’t keep pushing, I feared I would lose my identity entirely.
That obsession bled into my personal life. Every step in my career was another box to tick, another measurable step forward rather than a conscious decision based on what I truly wanted. The plan ahead felt set and the control gave me a sense of comfort. But then, I fell. Literally.
I injured myself badly. I could no longer run. I could no longer chase the next goal, and suddenly, I was left without my usual dopamine hits that made me feel accomplished, in control, and valuable. Not long after that, COVID hit. At the same time that my body was forcing me to stop, the world stopped too. My business, my income, and my identity all seemingly vanished overnight. The steps I had been climbing disappeared. The direction I thought I was heading no longer existed.
I was completely floored. Everything I had built, the structure I had relied on, was gone. For the first time in my life, I truly understood what fear, uncertainty, and deep discomfort felt like. At that moment, I was struck by the realisation I’d seen play out countless times on the trails. I thought about all the hikers I had guided over the years. I had seen so many people freeze at the bottom of a steep hill, wishing they had never showed up to the hike. I had had millions of conversations with people who hesitated to join an adventure because they were afraid. Afraid of being unfit, of not knowing anyone, of facing the unknown. And now, I was them.
For the first time, I wasn’t the guide, the coach, the leader. I was the person at the bottom of the climb, unable to see the way forward. I didn’t want to do this. It was hard. It felt impossible. And I couldn’t see the end. But then, just like on the trail, I took one small step forward. I scrambled for understanding. I devoured the self-help section of the bookstore. I dug deep into all the knowledge of change and resilience that I had spent years preaching as a coach and nutritionist. And, most importantly, I sat with the discomfort. What do I want? Where am I going?
Through this time of deep uncertainty, I was lucky enough to have my family around me so I could spend time with my teenage children, time I wouldn’t have had otherwise. The forced pause gave me something I had never truly experienced before: space. In that space, I started to see the parallels between my own life journey and the adventure journeys I had been leading for others.
I thought back to all the moments of friendship and support on the trails. The deep, meaningful conversations that weren’t just about where we were going, but about who we were becoming. I realised that true bonds aren’t formed in moments of comfort, they’re forged in the struggle, in the uncertainty, in the messy, challenging parts of life.
And that’s when it hit me. Adventure can transcend the activity of hiking and become a metaphor for life. For years, I had been coaching women on health and fitness by helping them chase numbers, avoid pain, and seek out measurable success. But now I saw something so much bigger. Adventure is more than just moving forward physically, it’s also about becoming more than we were before. It’s about embracing discomfort, stepping into the unknown, and realising that growth doesn’t happen inside the lines.
I started looking deeper into what makes people thrive. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That’s when I found positive psychology. I pulled together all the evidence, all the anecdotes, and all the experiences I had witnessed firsthand on the trails. And it finally made sense. For years, I had seen adventure transform people in ways that diet and fitness alone never could. Nature had a way of stripping everything back, pushing people out of their comfort zones, forcing them to face themselves, and ultimately, helping them rebuild.
What did I discover from all this? I needed to stop just following the map and start creating my own path by letting go of control and stepping into the brave zone. This was extremely uncomfortable for me because I had spent my entire life chasing control. I measured everything. I ticked the boxes. I followed the steps. I did what I was “supposed” to do. But when I stopped looking at the numbers and let go of control just a little, I started feeling again. I took the time to reposition myself on the map and realised life isn’t meant to be lived entirely in the comfort zone.
Growth happens in the brave zone, that sweet spot between fear and possibility. The first step of getting into that zone is often saying yes to yourself, not just because it’s the next logical step, but because it’s what truly calls to you. Maybe you’ve felt it too. The pressure to measure up, to follow the plan, to keep pushing forward because stopping feels like failure. But what if the destination you’re aiming for isn’t actually where you want to go? What if you paused, looked around, and asked yourself—where do I really want to be?
That’s the real adventure. Not the numbers. Not the checkboxes. Not the pre-mapped route. The adventure is in the unknown, the exploration, the messy, the unexpected. It’s in choosing to grow not because you “should,” but because you want to.
So, where will you go next? Find your next great adventure on our Adventure Calendar HERE and break free of a life controlled by numbers.
