I Go 100

I have a new ritual.

Before I do a session on the ergometer (rowing machine), I drink a cup of hot chocolate. It's weird because I've never really been a hot chocolate drinker, and one would think it's more of a soothing drink than something to rev you up. I must get a bit of a sugar and caffeine hit from this. But I'm thinking that there is more involved to this ritual than that.

Whenever I drink the HC (hot chocolate), I know that I will be rowing immediately afterward. Even if I don't feel like exercising – if I drink the HC, the next thing I do automatically is row. It appears that I've created a connection in my mind where the HC triggers the next activity.

I read about this concept of using triggers to create habits from Leo Babauta on his new website called 6Changes.com. If you want to change a habit – either in creating a new habit or halting an old one, you change the activity immediately preceding it. Leo defines a trigger as "an event that will kick off that automatic urge to do a habit. Habits become automatic after we’ve created a bond between the trigger and the habit — the stronger the bond, the more ingrained the habit."

So if I'm having trouble mustering the motivation to row, I head for the kitchen and make a cup of this yummy drink. I have no problem in making it, because I enjoy it so much. And then, when I'm done, I'm ready to row. No questions asked. A perfect combination.

Now I'm trying to stop my ice cream addiction through the power of decaf coffee. Think it'll work?

(Just a quick note to everyone that I'm finally back on the erg! Yesterday I broke my 12 day erg fast – brought on by a nasty flu – with an easy 10km session. It felt like slipping on an old pair of sneakers and I was so relieved to be back. Today I did another 10km and feel even stronger and ready to get back to some long rows)

Failure.

Success.

Loneliness.

Commitment.

Too little.

Too much.

Rejection.

Acceptance.

Change.

Stagnation.

The future.

The past.

Pain.

Bliss.

Death.

Life.

What fear is stopping you?

Today I made a difficult decision in my career (it's nothing earth-shattering like quitting the cubicle farm to write a yet another book on how to start your own business). In fact, this decision would probably be a really simple thing for many of you. But it's something that I struggled with for a long time. And today I started to address the fear(s)that have paralyzed me for so long. By naming these fears I am able to tear them apart, determine their origin, and mitigate them. Maybe one day even eliminate them.