In August this year I walked the Kokoda Track for 8 days. We were a group of 6 hikers, our lead guide and accompanying porters. We had trained for 4 months and it was an experience of a lifetime.
There is a lot to be said about the simplicity of putting one foot in front of another for 8 hours a day. That itself puts things into perspective. And then there is the reflection of what the soldiers (on both sides) went through many decades before. The walk changed my attitude to work and life.
Here are 3 lessons I learnt through the experience.
1. Focus on a single outcome
At Kokoda we had a single outcome – finish the track. It’s 96 kilometers, very little of it is flat, The topography can seem like endless ascent and descent.
As our guide told us, the only way out of the track once we had started was to finish the walk or get airlifted out.
So we had to have the right attitude and a total commitment to the journey. We had to close off all other options and persevere.
Often in other areas of work and life, the presence of other options fragments our concentration, distracting us from our single goal.
We didn’t have these options when walking the Kokoda Track. Yet, at the same time the sheer focus of mind on a single outcome gave opportunity for so many others – friendship, reflection, challenge and joy.
2. Simplicity
I have to admit to you that the first day when we disembarked the plane I was very nervous. I didn’t know what was ahead. I was worried about whether our bodies would hold up.
Bit by bit we all developed more confidence. Complexities seemed to slip away, leaving space to consider the simple things in life. Gradually, the simple things became the most meaningful and enjoyable.
The cup of tea in the afternoon became the best cup of tea I’d ever tasted. The rest sitting on a log at the top of the hill was better than the most comfortable chair in the world. A casual conversation by the fire in the evening was more entertaining than the latest movie release.
I know people who make it a regular part of their lives to do something completely different every year. Whether that’s going on a long hike, or a meditation retreat, or a caravan holiday, or doing Round The Bay.
It’s nourishing for the soul to do those things that remind us the simplest things can give us great enjoyment.
3. Mateship
When we started the walk we were separate groups – our hiking group, our lead guide, and our general porters.
We were all naturally timid. At the start, we walked in long silences and concentrated on the path.
As the trip became more difficult we helped each another. River crossings were slippery underfoot. In places the path descended steeply. We lent a hand to one another. The porters gave a special effort, often appearing out of nowhere to take a pack or steady us as we walked.
When we reached the arches at the finish of the track were a single group.
Perhaps you’ve had moments in your work where everyone has worked together and, because of this, everyone’s felt like one team?
After Kokoda, I looked back on my last ten years of work, and realised the projects I enjoyed the most were those where everyone worked together. We so often work in silos or on our own things. It’s refreshing when we can all see the bigger picture and be willing to help each other to create a shared sense of achievement.
One other thought….
If you have the opportunity to do the Kokoda Track or another challenge of this nature, I highly recommend it.
I wasn’t prepared to feel the way I did doing the track. During the walk I felt connected to country and home. Our guide told us stories of the battle at Brigade Hill and we read poems written by soldiers who were little more than 18 years old. We all felt patriotic. Even before we travelled, many people had spoken to us about this same feeling they had experienced walking the track. I had underestimated the impact it would have on me.
I would like to thank the crew at No Roads (http://www.noroads.com.au/), including our guide and the excellent porters who took care of us and made sure we had a safe walk.
