Feel Like Giving Up?
Simple tips that will help you stay on track with your goals
Posted on 05-03-2018, Read Time: - Min
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In 2016, for my 25th wedding anniversary, my husband and I took 60 days off of work to bike across the country. It was no ordinary bike ride. It was the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, on the Mexican border. It crossed the Continental Divide 32 times, had almost 200,000 vertical feet of climbing; and, we went on this journey unsupported. This means we carried our food, water, tent, clothes and spare parts. We did get to stay in hotels when we could find them, and we were able to take warm showers and do laundry at least every fourth day. It wasn’t fun but it was an adventure of a lifetime, and at the end of the trip I had never been more in shape, more in love and closer to my husband.
If we hadn’t had the common goal of finishing the entire trip, we might not have. Here is how we got to the end of the route in one piece...
If we hadn’t had the common goal of finishing the entire trip, we might not have. Here is how we got to the end of the route in one piece...
- Grit - Grit might be an overused term but as Angela Duckworth puts in her book Grit - The Power of Passion and Perseverance - was the first mantra for our journey. John and I are very passionate about exercise, mountain biking and being together. We added perseverance by never giving up, no matter how hard the days were. I knew I needed him to finish the route and vice versa.
- Kindness - Our trip was hard, really hard. The harder it got, the kinder we became towards each other. In the past, I was kind of a hard ass, but this trip changed me. I changed my attitude and when John was hurting or needed me, I was soft, kind and loving. I asked how I could help, what could I do in my power to make his moment, his ride or his day better. With just this simple act of authentic kindness he immediately responded like a mirror and was kind and loving on my hard days. When I got home from the ride, I talked differently to my kids and my colleagues at the foundation. I am much kinder now, and people around me can feel the difference.
- Pride - There is pride - and bragging rights - associated with biking across the country. John will tell you it was pride in the common goal that we had to finish. At one point during the ride, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, as a muscle in my leg was so overused that it hurt really bad each time I took a pedal stroke. We slowed our pace down, I took 1.5 days off in Colorado and the pain went away. I was proud of myself to get back on the bike, determined not to stop. We both wanted our kids, our parents and our friends to be proud of us. It is now two years later, and our family still talks about how proud they are that we biked across the country.
- Set small goals to achieve your big ones. Each night before going to bed, John and I would review the maps from Adventure Cycling Association and a book written by the McCoys on completing the journey, tips on where to stay and to get food. We would agree on the goal we would set for the day. Then I would break down the daily goal into small achievable goals. Usually, we were on the bike by 8 am and by 10 am we would take a snack break. One hour later we would take another small break and just walk our bikes for a short distance. Lunch came next, and we would open a crystal light packet, add to our water and enjoy the treat. 3 pm was another snack, followed by a 5 minute rest. 5 pm is where the mental strength was needed, as most days we biked until a little past 7 pm. This is where we would cheer each other on, talk about the day, look for the sunset and try to appreciate what we had just accomplished. You would be surprised how far 60 miles is per day when you do that 10 days in a row. I would celebrate each 100 miles by ringing my bell on my bike. I tried to find any reason to celebrate to the next spin. This helped us both get to the end of the route.
We never could have finished this ride had we not been prepared. From the research, to the equipment to the 21 days of training we did before the ride. Set reasonable goals for yourself, stick to it and find the good in others.
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What do you do when you feel like giving up? https://web.hr.com/q7ts
What do you do when you feel like giving up? https://web.hr.com/q7ts
Author Bio
| Carrie Morgridge serves as the Vice President and Chief Disruptor of The Morgridge Family Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to invest in transformative gifts for educators and youth. Carrie is the award-winning author of The Spirit of the Trail: A Journey to Fulfillment Along the Continental Divide (May 5, 2018). Connect Carrie Morgridge Follow @CarrieMorgridge |
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