Where Have You Been Underestimating Your Own Strength?
Ending a Peloton bike ride a few mornings ago I was shocked to see a badge pop up telling me I’d broken my previous highest output record — by about 25% and completely unintentionally.
I never glance at the leaderboard that shows who else is taking the ride and tracks your output compared with others, and I've never thought for one moment about “personal bests” in my rides.
Since my partner got us the bike with the aim of introducing some sanity into our quarantine life with a one-year-old at the height of the pandemic in 2020, I’ve been riding exclusively because it’s felt good to me. I’ve had zero concern for metrics, never a single goal set for my rides, and certainly no care whatsoever about what other people were up to relative to me.
But it struck me powerfully in this moment that I had apparently, unbeknownst to myself, become stronger and more capable than I’d realized I was right now.
My brain had been assuming I was still in the pandemic/early parenting survival mode of moving my body just for a base level of sanity and a little daily endorphin injection. It hadn’t crossed my mind to check back in with myself more recently about what phase I’m in now.
Prompted by this reminder this week I did check in with myself and realized, much to my surprise, that it actually now sounds and feels good to be getting more intentional about my workouts. I was shocked to realize that suddenly it’s actually feeling fun to challenge myself more and set some goals — not because I feel like I should from some externally oriented pressure (as I for sure would have decades ago), but just because it feels good.
I realized that what feels good to me now is different than what felt good to me a few years ago.
My brain just hadn't gotten that memo yet.
Our brains habituate so quickly to whatever we regularly do (and think and feel) that if we don’t periodically check in with our current intentions and capacity, given our present moment circumstances and priorities, our brain will just assume that the way we’re doing it is the way to keep doing it.
So we're well-served to conduct an occasional system assessment and brain update to get our bodies and minds on the same page about what feels right for where our body and energy are today.
You can periodically pause and check in with yourself by asking:
* What am I enjoying right now?
* What's draining me these days?
* What am I needing/craving more/less of in my current life?
* What’s feeling good to my body these days?
* How could I reasonably introduce a bit more of those things into my routine?
* What in my current life do I have more strength or bandwidth for than I’d been realizing?
Where in your life are you sensing it might be time for a little system update to synch your mind and body up around your present moment desires, intentions, and habits?
Wishing you some fun and enjoyment in the upgrading process.
Lots of Love,