I finally rode my bike to work, after two weeks of work in my new workplace, HCMF Taiwan headquarter. It’s an amazing progress for me!
I started with riding scooter to work.
Scooter is the main transportation in Taiwan.
This column is from the website of our Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The total motor vehicle in 2022.11 is 22,828,810 and motorcycle is 14,385,327. That volume of scooter& motocycle consider a lot, While our population is only 23,57 Million around.
I used the scooter to scout several routes to work in the start of time. After I found the best and safest route to ride a bicycle. I started to be lazy. I told myself bunch of excuses, oh! the temperature is around 10 degree and i might get cold. The traffic is horrible, it might not be safe. I have to carry my NB and whole working suits to work, just because I have to use cycling suit in case I sweat too much, that’s heavy and not realistic! I don’t have cycling backpack……
Eventually, I overcame all those thoughts.
I picked up a good sunny day and just woke up 30 minuets earlier than normal. (6:00 a.m.) simply just ride my bike to work. Cause i told myself, Paul if you don’t do it! You will regret about it! And I hate regret in my life.
Something interesting happened after work. I went to toilet changing my clothes to cycling suit after I got out of the toilet. The manager of domestic sales department said “wow! What is that, Superman suit!” I said” Haha, just cycling suit and I will ride my bike home.” The whole department was watching me. That manager asked” Do you work out?’’ I answered yes. He called one of my fatty colleagues out of the meeting and asked him to watch me. He said” look at this dude! 30 plus years old just like you! Look at his body!” I was so embarrassed. Wondering that, I Should have put on a jacket. This small story was very interesting for me.
Taiwan is such a beautiful small place, that only two rows of bald cypress aside the few hundred meters road can be a famous tourist site, but yes, I talk sarcastically as always. Frankly speak, it’s amazing during December and January, cause it’s also the time that they turn from bright yellow to red. After my whole day’s working. I rode my bike there and enjoyed a bit of view. That makes my light cycling journey even more fantastic and I don’t have to live with regret anymore. I will keep riding to work when the weather condition is good.
How do you move your lazy ass to live healthier and better?
Here is some of my Tipps, I am going to share with my lovely audience.
Step 1 Dutch courage and Motivation
Start a new thing is like a young little boy first time asking a girl out for a date! If you don’t get used to move your lazy ass and constantly improve anything in your life. You might experience the same “first time” feeling like that. You feel everything hard and you feel yourself weak and powerless. You might have all sort of excuses dragging you and even persuade yourself that you don’t need this! Your life is good enough, but deep down in you mind you wanna change. So, you have an idea and you want to try it for the first time.
You need some “Dutch courage” for that. Take a shot of alcohol (Please, don’t drink alcohol under the legal age in your country! kids!) and say fxxx that and then ask that wonderful girl out. Just metaphor. You can find any kind of motivation online, offline or simply an idol or ideal image. (Don’t go for bottle.) you get motivated and have a little push with Dutch courage and then your life improvement’s gearwheel will start rolling!
Step 2 Grit and Discipline for the chore
Soon, you have found the temporary excitement and motivation are passed away. You might experience several energetic days, after that, it’s just not that interesting to keep going. You need discipline to overcome the constant resurrected laziness and inner couch potato inside your mind. “Chore feeling”, that’s what I would say for this step. You need discipline for that. I often image that there is a weaker me and a strong muscular invincible me inside my mind. He is just like a COD video game’s super military instructor’s image. He will push me to keep fighting and encourage me to keep going. He never rests. He never gives up. He is always wise, smart, calm, cool and handle thing with strong perseverance. That combat warrior mindset works for me very well.
Step 3 Build a Good habit or like a ritual
For me, grit still needs to cost your mental energy for it. How to make it easier? Easy, you make it like a good habit or a ritual. Do you remember washing your hand every time after using bathroom or wear the cloths before go out? Does it bother you every time? I guess for most of people not at all. of course, If someone don’t do that, you might see them very weird.
Therefore, why not turn the “chore feeling” to a brand-new physical habit or ritual, focusing on doing things out of emotion. Emotion goes up and down and be influenced by inner mood or outer environment. It doesn’t really matter, if you feel depressed, happy or angry. You wear clothes and then go out. So why not build a good habit with this kind of attitude.
Let’s move move move !
