Sometimes bad things cause good things to happen (on behavior change)

This January my hometown burned down dramatically and without warning. It was a wake up call to assess my life priorities.

Was I living my life well?
Was I doing what I wanted to do in this one wild precious life?
Was I spending my time and using my energy in alignment with my values?

In many ways the answers to these questions were a resounding yes but there were also a couple clear nos.

I had set some shaky goals in my yearly intention setting ritual and annual bingo board making to "become a cyclist again" this year. But after failing to do so in previous years, a big part of me wasn't sure it would actually happen.

When the literal fire lit a metaphorical fire under me there was no longer a question – this was the year. I was doing it.

8 months, thousands of miles, tens of thousands of feet of elevation, dozens of new friends, bikepacking trips and group rides later, I think I can safely say I did it.

I am so proud of myself for showing up and so grateful for the incredible community of cyclists I've gotten to become a part of where connection and camaraderie supersedes divisions in age, race, class and gender.

Sometimes bad things cause good things to happen. They can be a powerful catalyst for change. But that is not the only way we change. You do not have to wait for the bad thing to happen, you can course correct at *any* time.

You always have that power.

Try a mini life-assessment today with the three questions I posed earlier and see if there are any tweaks small or large that you can begin to make to come into alignment with the person you most want to be ✨