Navigate

If you are like me, navigation and sense of direction do not come naturally. I remember the first time I drove by myself at age 15. My 10 year old brother and I pulled out of the driveway, onto the street, at which point I said ". . . do you know how to get to the movie theater?" I had been going to that theater for years but I had never paid attention to the route. My brother knew the way.

The point is not how bad I am with directions. My point is this is a skill that needs to be practiced and challenged regularly. That day was when I realized I was bad with directions. Now I actively seek situations where I have to navigate, either on foot, in a car, on public transit or any other way. This has ended up with me lost. Frequently. This has also led to me finding some pretty awesome places. Either result, the challenge of navigating something new is good for the brain. Here are some ways to work navigating into your routine:

• Move with a purpose - I usually get bored when I go for a walk/run/hike/bike and don't have a reason to do so other than exercise. I like to pick a destination, ie; walk to a yoga studio, run to the store, hike to a scenic mountain top. Try to pick a destination that you usually drive to and walk there instead. If it is only a few miles away, take the time.
• Go somewhere new - We all have our usual stomping grounds. We shop and eat at the usual places. We work out in the same places. With this normal routine the brain can be on autopilot. Every now and then, go somewhere that you haven't been before. It can be a restaurant, a gym, a yoga studio, a park, a store or anything else you've never tried.
• Pick up a map - The skill of reading a map is a lost art. With GPS, we can plug in an address and be guided (usually) to the right location. I am totally guilty of this. But being able to locate yourself and important landmarks on a map is a valuable skill. You could do this in a park, on a bike trail or just around the city. Google maps is fine. I usually pull up a map of where I want to go, do a good map study and then head off with a better idea of where I'm going. 
• Lose the wheels - We get so used to driving everywhere. Most of the drives I take are well under ten miles away, which makes it really senseless to drive, especially if I am the only person in a full size pick up truck. I bought a bike yesterday from a guy who hasn't driven his car for over a year. He commutes to work 35 miles every day on his bike. Imagine the gas money saved. And the exercise gained. Also, going on a bike or on foot (or skateboard or roller blades or pogo stick, etc.) makes us more aware of everything around us.

Writing this, I realize I am starting to sound like a long haired hippy, but these things are all great ways to challenge your brain. I'm not saying leave your GPS-equipped vehicle in your driveway for a year. Just that navigating using all forms of transport is better than just driving.

Jack

PS - I still get lost from time to time. I led a group of buddies astray for about an hour at night in the desert. I ended up wandering around a rural northern Italy for 18 hours before I stumbled upon a creepy, scooby doo-esque mansion hotel on top of a hill at 2am. In most cases, getting lost is a good experience with valuable lessons learned. Sometimes I run with the intention of getting lost and then finding my way back. Nothing like running when you don't know how long you have to run.