3 Reasons Why Wandering Around Is Underrated

Spontaneity is memorable. And there’s not much spontaneity anymore. We have to engineer it. And walking around aimlessly is a great way to do it.

It Changes Your Brain

Your brain is lazy. If you let it outsource decision making to Google, Apple, or your written directions, it will. Walking, biking, driving, etc with no plan at all forces your brain to do basic navigation again. You’ll have to remember landmarks, what direction you are headed, etc all over again.

You Notice More

On a related note, you’ll notice much more. Wandering around is a perfect way to get into a flow state. The navigation and novelty is just enough input to fill your brain’s bandwidth while allowing space for your subconscious to wander, notice, and create ideas. As a contrast – think about how driving in heavy traffic feels. You want the opposite of that state.

You’ll Remember Your Wanderings

Your brain remembers novelty and deletes routine. Even in places that are known, you’ll remember your walk on a random day if it’s novel, interesting, and unplanned.

Set aside an hour…with no hard deadline or plan. Use your feet (ideally) or bike or car and wander aimlessly. Try it!