The Off Season: Part 1, Inventory
One thing that blogging really does is help make you become more introspective. I decided the other day to make a list of the things that I was struggling with creatively. When you start putting it all out there, you find out very quickly things like:
I'm not that interesting
I need to learn more about this
I need to learn more about that
I waste a lot of time musing about things
I spend less time than I should doing things that are meaningful
Producing content is hard
Producing content that is relevant and regular is harder
Cabin fever is hardest
Work and family come first (not in that order)
Editing and refinement is the toughest part of writing
When I started really going with the blog, it was spring, and I had a lot of things floating around my head. I was spending a lot of time on the bike (and a little money on gear) to make 2018 the best year on the bike ever. That makes for easy content creation. In fact, as you know, I am going to take lots of that and turn it into my book Cycling from Square One later this year. Working on that project has had a negative effect on the blog frequency, and I apologize for that.
As I looked at the list above, it is obvious that it is also a reflection of life on the bike, and with Buffalo winter in full swing, the bike life has suffered. Let's look:
I'm not that fit or fast
I need to learn more about this
I need to learn more about that
I waste a lot of time thinking about riding (or watching Youtube videos or reading about bikes)
I spend less time than I should actually riding
Riding regularly is hard
Workouts that are relevant and regular are harder
Cabin fever is hardest
Work and family come first (not in that order)
Eating right is the toughest part of riding/being healthy
So this year, I am going to try some things a little differently. Over the next few posts, I am going to explore some of the things that have been influencing me on and off the bike. My goal for 2019 is to make the book the best possible one I can produce, and to get plenty of rides in, all while being a better me on and off the bike. So, here's to being more productive, more healthy, and more creative. Stay tuned.