Daniel Knudson

With the challenge winding down, I feel like it has made a difference for me. I have grown to appreciate the time I spend outside, to explore and enjoy what is around me. I think it will become a solid habit to be honest. And to keep it there for me to appreciate, I definitely plan to learn more. If you stop learning,  you stop growing. And we all still have a bit left to do.

Today was an exercise in, well, exercise. I spent a few hours while it was sunny helping out the family with work in the garden, taking the time to appreciate being outside. It had been a while since I had applied myself to a physical task like this, and I have to say that I am feeling pretty accomplished at the end of it. Pretty soon the garden will be up and functional again. Just a matter of figuring out what to plant!

Its been an interesting time. I have been doing well at spending more time outside. I actually did my virtual class meeting yesterday in the backyard! Caused a little stir with everyone surprised by the dogs wandering around behind me, but it was too nice to resist. Too bad today was too cloudy, otherwise it might have become a habit!

I feel good about challenging myself with these goals. There has been a shift i the way that things feel, however imperceptible. Even though we are all stuck in isolation, we have been able to make some changes. And with spring now officially here, we are actually able to take the time to stop and appreciate it. It is like someone has hit a refresh button for the world somewhere, and we all desperately needed it. Even though we are in very stressful times, I feel like we will all come out of this better. 

Having goals set through the ecochallenge system has been great to remind me of what I can do each day to change my impact, though I have found it a bit difficult to remember logging in ten enough to track progress. That aside it has been interesting being at home isolated from others these past weeks. It brings into perspective the small steps we can take each day and how they can actually affect our lives. And I don't think that it could come at any better a time than this. Especially with everyone going stir crazy. Why not use that energy to change our world?