Every week, I share a story from ordinary life that made me stop, laugh, think, or occasionally question what on earth I was doing. From running into spider webs and taking the elevator after the gym, to entrepreneurship, choices, courage and figuring out what we actually want next. No five-step formulas, no pretending I have it all figured out. Just real stories, honest observations and the occasional question that might stay with you longer than expected.
It's like riding a bicycle 🚲
|
Hi Reader, Three weeks ago, I started my MBA internship at the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. (And no, before you ask, the electric bike still hasn't happened 😅) The office is about 7 km from home, so I figured… time to dust off the old bicycle. Pedal power straight from the legs. How hard could it be? Well… let me paint the picture. Out of 24 gears, I could only use about 1/3 of them. And in case you've never been here, Nanaimo is not flat. I needed every single one of those gears. 40 minutes later, I arrived at the office. Sweaty. Sticky. And let's just say… my bum had some things to say about the whole experience 😅 That was not fun. So I made an appointment at the bike shop. Luckily, they knew exactly what they were doing. I picked it up that same evening, and oh my… what a difference. It reminded me of that saying, you know the one: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I'll spend the first four sharpening the axe." Sometimes we push through with the wrong gear. We tell ourselves we're being scrappy. Resourceful. Disciplined. We grind it out with what we have and hope willpower will fill the gap. But the truth is… Your gear matters. Whether it's a literal bicycle, the software you're using, the team around you, or your own energy levels, what you build shapes how far you can go and how good you feel when you get there. These days, my commute is 26 minutes. I know the route. I know exactly which gear I need for each hill. I even know how the traffic lights are synced, so I roll through them without stopping (yes, I'm officially that cyclist now 🤓). I'm getting used to cycling again. Getting my fitness back too. And it all started with one simple decision: Fix the gear first. Then go. Sometimes you just need to switch gears (pun absolutely intended) to get where you actually want to go. Chat next week, Peggy 🌿 Backyard Gossip | Stories about life, business & the spaces in between |
Stories about life, business & the spaces in between 🌿
Every week, I share a story from ordinary life that made me stop, laugh, think, or occasionally question what on earth I was doing. From running into spider webs and taking the elevator after the gym, to entrepreneurship, choices, courage and figuring out what we actually want next. No five-step formulas, no pretending I have it all figured out. Just real stories, honest observations and the occasional question that might stay with you longer than expected.
View in browser Hi Reader, I’m not going to lie… I’m NOT always motivated to do the things I need to do to become the person I want to be. Wow. That was a mouthful. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t say that five times quickly in a row 😂 But then I started wondering: am I actually motivated by the person I want to become? Or am I sometimes more motivated by the person I don’t want to become? And yes, I’m sure a psychologist could explain the difference in great detail. Intrinsic motivation,...
View in browser Hi Reader, This morning I joined the Beban Parkrun again. My friend couldn’t make it this week, so I was prepared to run on my own, go slowly, and really try to stay within my heart rate zones to build more stamina. Which currently means quite a bit more walking than jogging 😏 And let me tell you, sticking to those zones while people are happily running past you is harder than it sounds. But anyway, that’s not actually what this story is about. At some point, while I was...
View in browser Hi Reader, On one of my latest jogs, I was just minding my own business. Which, if we're being honest, means I was giving myself silent pep talks. This is for a good cause. You'll feel great when you're back home. Stop whining, you literally chose to do this. Nobody pointed a gun to your head, Peggy. You know. Normal jog thoughts 😅 Then, out of absolutely nowhere… I found myself doing my best karate moves. Right there. In the middle of the trail. Because I had just run...