Rather than tell you about me....I'm going to show you something much deeper. I'm going to reveal something so ingrained, you could say it defines me.
I am a creature of habit. Habits have a funny way of either working for you, or against you. I'm sure we can all relate to a time when we caught ourselves doing something out of habit and said to ourselves: "Why the frack am I doing this? This is actually going to cause me harm or heartache if I keep this up!" Hmm...that sounds like a bad habit in progress. Or maybe we reflect on our current circumstances and say: "Holy shit...I can't believe this is me!" or "Wow...I can't believe I get paid this much money" or "Wow, I can't believe I accomplished that goal" Those are the more pleasant revelations in life.
I've found that being very intentional is the best way to build long lasting great habits. Usually, just asking a good question is the best way to start. A few years ago, I asked myself the following: How can I intentionally stack some good habits that produce a wonderful synergy in my life? The goal was to live a life with a lighter footprint, increase my physical fitness, increase my equanimity, save money & send my happiness through the GOD DAMN ROOF. Think Ven diagram. I've deconstructed this habit, and I hope you enjoy reading it. I sure had fun writing this!
Stage 1: Start Small
The first thing I did was convince myself that I needed to buy a decent starter bicycle and tool around the neighborhood. I bought a new Trek Hybrid bicycle from an actual bicycle shop.
Stage 2: Challenge Yourself
Once I was feeling pretty good about rolling around my "hood", and I got my "biker" legs, I said to myself: "I should look on Google Maps and find out how to commute to work via bicycle. Here was my thought process: The most direct path between 2 points is a straight line. So with a proposed path in mind, I did a trial run on the weekend. 8 miles. One way. Sounded like just the right amount of challenge for me at the time. It was amazing; and when I rolled up to work on 2 wheels, I could not believe I had done it. I had arrived to my intended destination powered not by fossil fuels, but by a mere bowl of oatmeal with some blueberries tossed in for good measure. Once I had a "known good" route from Home to Work, there was all the other minutiae that would accompany this challenge i.e. How to get cleaned up for work, How to transport other items like a laptop & work clothing, etc.
Stage 3: Don't Get Discouraged
You will have set backs. You will. As it relates to commuting via bike, this means the following: flat tires, getting soaked in a rain storm, not bringing enough water, dealing with the occasional road rager, etc. Here is a prime example: On day 2....that's right day 2 I was struck by a Chevy Tahoe while commuting home from work. My front wheel was seriously bent, I had some bumps and bruises, and was a little shaken psychologically. But man, you shoulda seen the front quarter panel on that vehicle ;) This wreck set me back a few weeks while my bike was being repaired, but I was determined to make this happen; period.
Stage 4: Refine your approach
Fine tune things. Optimize, optimize, optimize. I have since tried many different variations i.e. Bring clothes vs. Leave clothes at work for the week, Travel on this road vs. that road, 1 vs 2 water bottles, pack lunch vs buy lunch, ad naseum....you get the idea right? Here is my current Morning / Evening routine:
- Have bag packed night before
- Have lunch packed night before
- Inspect bike i.e. tire pressure, etc
- Eat a good breakfast
- Bike to work (9 Miles)
- Lock bike at the campus gym
- Pump iron at the campus gym
- Shower at the campus gym
- Get dressed for work at the campus gym
- Walk 0.75 miles from gym to work
- WORK---Blah, Blah, Blah
- Walk 0.75 miles from work to gym
- Get dressed for bike ride home at campus gym
- Bike home (9 Miles)
- Shower at home
- Eat dinner with my family
- Relax with my family
- Pack lunch for next day
- Pack Bag for next day
- Sleep like a baby
I've rode my bike in snow storms, hail storms, sunny days, cold days, wet days, dry days....you name it. Sure, I have days when I say "Fuck it....let's take the car". But I know I can activate my habit any day I choose; and that is an empowering feeling.
The bottom line - I am happy to report that I have nurtured a great habit that I love performing.
Here some very recent "Fitness" photos of myself:
And last but not least, here are 2 of my bikes:
Now that I've given you a small peek into my world, drop me a note & let me know of a good habit you have nurtured.