Stop Staring at Your To-Do List

5 Surprising Ways Going Outside Can Help You Reach Your Goals

If you've ever felt stuck, scattered, or just plain unmotivated when it comes to your goals … you're not alone. Especially for those of us deep in the work of self-growth, it can be frustrating to know what to do and still feel blocked when it comes to actually doing it.

The solution? Sometimes it’s as simple as stepping outside.

Whether it's a full-on forest hike or a few deep breaths on your apartment patio, nature has a unique ability to ground us, clear our minds, and bring us back to our inner rhythm. And when we're more connected to our senses, our intuition, and our environment we become more capable of turning insight into action.

Here are five ways going outside can help you move forward on your goals

1. It regulates your nervous system.
Spending time in natural settings helps your body downshift from stress mode. Research shows that even short time outdoors can lower cortisol levels and support parasympathetic nervous system activity—your body’s rest-and-digest state. When you're regulated, you're more likely to take intentional action instead of reacting out of overwhelm or shutdown.2. It grounds you in the present moment.
Have you ever been so wrapped up in planning or overthinking that you begin to spiral out in thoughts about deadlines and feeling like the future is coming too fast? Being outside naturally engages your senses sight, smell, touch and brings you back into the now. Taking a few deep breaths and letting your mind slow down and notice small things like leaves on the ground, or the breeze creates a present mindfulness that is a powerful counter to perfectionism, burnout, and all-or-nothing thinking.

3. It expands your perspective - literally.
Looking at far-away landscapes, trees, or the sky has a measurable calming effect on your visual system and brain. It's called "optic flow," and it helps reduce mental fatigue and tunnel vision (the kind that shows up when you're hyper-focused on what’s going wrong). Giving your eyes a break from screens and focusing on nature can give you the reset you need to get back to thinking clearly and creatively.

4. It reconnects you to your body.
Whether you’re walking, stretching, or simply feeling the breeze on your skin, outdoor movement and sensation reconnect you with your physical self. This embodied awareness supports intuition and self-trust, both are important tools when you’re navigating personal goals that demand courage and consistency.

5. It’s accessible and adaptable.
You don’t need a mountain trail or an expensive retreat to access the benefits of the outdoors. Your neighborhood sidewalk, a local park bench, the porch steps, or a patch of sky through your window all count. Outside is outside. The power lies in how you engage with it. Bring a journal or just sit quietly and give yourself a few minutes away from everything else. It can wait for 5 minutes! Letting yourself breathe deeply and connect with the natural environment around you will create calm when you need it most.

Final Thoughts
The next time you’re stuck in a cycle of “I should be doing more,” try doing less and just step outside. Let the wind, the sun, or even the birdsong remind you that movement doesn’t have to be huge to be meaningful. Often, the smallest shift - like a breath of fresh air - is what clears the way for everything else.