England Coaching

Change in life is inevitable:

Change can be difficult and even scary because of the unknown. We try to wrap our arms around what we know and scoff at the idea of anything different from what we currently understand. Unfortunately this is not an effective approach to the ever changing world around us.

Although it is not possible to know the exact outcome of our decisions and choices until they have come to pass, what we can control is our reactions and choices as we travel through life. I recall a conversation with a mastermind group I am apart of, where I was stuck between making a dramatic decision for change or keeping things as they were. One question that was asked to me was “where do you want to see yourself in five years?” which was a great question to consider. If I said my future vision is being exactly where I am and doing exactly what I am doing day to day, then I am somehow living the perfect life with no room for growth or I have not given deep though into my personal vision for developmental growth.

Although change can be perceived as risk, so is resistance to change. The difference is one option you can strategically think about where you are, where you’re going, and compare it to where you want to be. The other option is acting as a *metaphorical ostrich putting their head in the sand and ignoring the fact that time continues to change, just as well as the earth continues to spin.

(*Ostriches dig holes to burry eggs to protect them, not to hide from predators, although they will lower their heads to attempt to be less of a target defensively.)

Since change is inevitable, opposed to resisting change and hiding from it only to wonder years from now “what if” or “what happened?” accept and adapt to change. Seek opportunities for growth, development, and seek the ability to try new things. Although this is easier said than done for most, my hopes is to at least spark the though and consciously become more aware of opportunities perceived as challenges around us. Seeing them as opportunity for growth. There is no one recipe or secret to life, that I’m sure of. There are strategies, tips, and tools that exist to help some more than others. This is all based on if and when one is open and willing to accept change as a necessity for growth.

Experiences over the past few weeks:

Acknowledgement: I received a formal review for work I have been doing and have fortunately been commended to step out of my comfort zone and agreed to attempt something I have never done before. I not only have had the opportunity to help more people, one specific case I recall a patient/client saying ” I felt I hit the jackpot” in referent to the information I was sharing with her. Which is extremely fulfilling to know I am helping people beyond heir expectations.

Biking problems and adventures:

I had a mountain bike which took its last turn as I heard a loud snap followed by the tire grinding across the frame. Turns out the “D-Link” that connects the bike via suspension snapped. Fortunately with social media outsourcing after a few weeks the issue was resolved by Cycle to Fitness store owner Nate in Livonia.

I have a road bike for the last time. I planned to ride perhaps 40-50 miles so I packed “lightly”. When a friend and I began our route, his plan was closer to 100 miles. We compromised and met at 78 miles. It began to rain with decent size hail making for a very cold and uncomfortable ride after mile 60.

Helping Others: My mother in law requested that I fix her bike so she can ride it around the neighborhood, thus setting out to clean it, “tune up” the shifting and any moving parts. Followed by my brother in law’s bike to do the same. I do find satisfaction completing tasks, it is a great feeling to be able to offer help to others.

Bike procurement: I was not joking when I said bike adventures. I did order a new gravel bike which would allow me to travel any roads in Michigan. With a road bike, transportation is great but there is always the concern of attempting to explore only to be stopped by a dirt road or a significantly unsafe roads.

Bike Testing: I took advantage of having a new bike and decided to set out to ride the furthest distance that I have yet to attempt. Although the original plan was 148 miles, I took some wrong turns leading to 152 miles in the end. The bike handled he terrain amazingly with over 6000 ft of climbing. Navigating through a state and metro park, the scenery was great. I did run into a hydration issue, the temperature raised and my cues for hydration increased. This resulted in running out of water twice. Fortunately a great teacher at Holly High School was willing to give me two water bottles until rerouting to a gas station. The second time I ran out, I was homeward bound and pushed to rehydrate once home. The following day to this ride, I found that my hydration was great (did not feel dehydrated/hungover), I did wish I consumed more food. My legs surprisingly felt great, however with over 11 hours on a bike. There was a lot of sitting which you could imagine, is not comfortable with a bike saddle. In the end this was the most discomfort I had, which allowed me to appreciate Garmin’s cues for nutrition and hydration in terms of endurance performance.

A Trip “Up North”: I set out to ride a 62 mile day (100k) on the new gravel bike starting near Oscoda, MI at Lake Huron. Little did I know the route I mapped was not intended for bikes or practically human exploration. Again, I am highly impressed with the bike’s performance. The human’s navigational skills (my), not so much.

Questions and Actions:

I know this blog is quite different and more of me sharing some experiences briefly, along with the nearly month hiatus. However I always want to encourage growth in myself, in hopes to inspire others to do the same for themselves.

Question: What I would like to leave you with is: What is something new you have done recently that you found enjoyment or fulfillment in. How can you add more of this into your life?

Actions: Find your own forms of exploration. As the seasons change, so does the world around you. Step out of the mundane day to day bubble, and try something new, go somewhere new. Give yourself 5,10, or if you can 30 minute in silence to listen to yourself think. Clear your mind and then reflect on what comes to mind when you set your intentions to finding the change you subconsciously crave.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you like, don’t like, would like to see more of. If you have any questions, please ask!

Have a great day and continue to live your life like the journey it is and embrace inevitable change.

“Resistance is futile”