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Does a new year bring a new outlook?

By James Durand
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By James Durand

Happy New Year everyone!

For some of us this means resolution time.

For years I would avoid the typical resolutions of losing weight, or eating healthier, and I’d set more specific goals. Maybe a faster time up the Grouse Grind, more bicycle commuting days overall, or a certain amount of push ups in a year. (The push ups made for a tough year.)

I’d give myself 12 months to achieve it. Less pressure that way and most years I would pull it off. Other times were an epic fail when I bit off too much those years, or life just decided for me that I’d set a stupid goal. Live and learn right?

I set a huge goal in 2021 and somehow managed to fight through injury and all sorts of life and COVID-related hassles to pull it off on the last day of the year.

Last year just kind of slid by with no resolutions and rather than set goals, it was more about dog paddling to keep my head above water most days.

As I was approaching 2023’s first day, I asked myself what I wanted to achieve in the following 12 months.

Like many of you, I want to eat better, be healthier, fitter, and stronger, and for me, I want to ride faster, farther, and way more often.

So I thought about it, I wrote down some possible resolutions, and set some goals. I then wondered if writing these things down would actually motivate me … and I tossed the list in the recycling bin.

Lists won’t motivate me, I need something deep in my head to click for these decisions to mean anything, and then I’m committed, but on Dec. 31, after a few beer, this list is more of a pipe dream than any sort of commitment.

Then I remembered the times in my life when motivation was at its peak. It had nothing to do with age, health, or the time of year, no one was motivating me, pushing me, or paying me to perform, and it definitely was not based on some last minute annual resolution because that’s what we’re supposed to do every New Years.

My motivation comes from competition. I’m not talking about wining something, but more about self competition. I’ll join a race or event and set a goal for myself. The fear of suffering due to lack of preparation, or the fear of failure, keeps me motivated.

Because I went to the trouble of signing up and paying a fee, something inside won’t let me quit, therefore it gets me off my butt, moves my training way up the priority list, and sets a level of motivation that I could never achieve with willpower alone.

So I am not setting any resolutions for 2023, but I am signing up for a some biking events this year and I’m guessing, as a bonus, some of the things on my pipe dream list will get checked off by default.

I think I’ll pick an epic mountain bike race, a Gran Fondo road ride, and hopefully an E-bike race just to mix it up a bit. That should get me moving.

What motivates you? Want to join in for some of these rides, because they’ll be loads of fun?

I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…