The x-factor you need to strengthen your adaptability (a key skill for the future)
I went mountain biking after 4 months of lockdown. I did not cycle much before that either as we were not allowed to cross state borders. Some of my favourite jungles to cycle are in an adjacent state. So, I was looking forward to being back on the bicycle after so long. It was mainly the emotions of anticipation and uncertainty I felt. The anticipation of being back in the jungle (my favourite place) and cycling through it. Uncertainty because I was not sure about my cycling fitness after a long hiatus.
During our last lockdown, we were allowed to exercise or cycle in our immediate neighbourhood. That meant road running or cycling, both of which are not my favourite. But I still did a little of both because it was the only option available to keep my fitness. But it was not enough. The fitness needed for mountain biking requires, well, a mountain. By mountain, I mean lots of undulating trails which are typically uneven. Cycling a trail with a gradient requires effort. Every increase in degree makes the heart beat faster and the lungs work harder. This in combination with our tropical sunshine and humidity makes for a good workout!
And I can confirm that both my heart and lungs worked hard. So did my muscles! My heart and lungs supplied much-needed oxygen and nutrition rich blood to my muscles. I can safely say that after my cycling I felt like the ‘cobwebs’ in my heart and lung had been removed. My muscles were in some pain, but they recovered well. But here’s the best result. The next day I felt like a new person.
I had been feeling quite tired through the lockdown. Part of that was due to my workload but the other part was, I believe, due to the lack of high-intensity exercise. I was not sure if the cycling would energise me or exhaust me further. But the only way to know was to actually do it. And luckily it paid off.
This article is not about my fitness but our perception. Usually, after such a long hiatus from mountain biking, I would typically not look forward to cycling. And uncertainty would be the overriding emotion I felt. Because that first ride is always the hardest. It is typically accompanied by discomfort and pain. But this time I decided to try something different.
I decided to view my forthcoming cycling with more anticipation and less uncertainty. The emotion of anticipation has the story: I’m looking forward to this; Impulse: to look forward to participating in or experience something; Purpose: to enjoy the future before it arrives.
Besides moving (energy) us to action, e-motion, emotions can also help us transcend our thinking to ‘experience’ a future state as if it is already happening. Because the brain does not know the difference between reality and the imagined! I was future-proofing my cycling experience before it happened!
During the ride, the emotion of resolve helped power my muscles to cycle. My body fought me with every peddle but I intended to finish what I started. I did not succumb to my pain, and my body eventually listened. It felt good to complete what I had wanted to achieve and pushing through the pain to tell my body that I was in charge. And I still feel GOOD. The next morning my first remark to my husband was that I felt like a new person!
We are more adaptable than we realise when we get past our perceptions. But it often requires a fight, with ourselves, and some pain to get past our discomfort. But I can say with ‘claridence’ (clarity + confidence) that the effort is usually rewarded in multiples. The end of procrastination is the first reward and the changes to our chemistry (and) biology bonuses.
McKinsey & Co state adaptability a key skill for the future. And, I believe, it starts with a thought AND the associated emotion(s)!
Emotions, the x-factor, help us turn our thoughts into action by connecting our thinking (action-free) with our discomfort or resistance (action needed) to move us on.
I can’t help but quote Marcus Aurelius again here, “The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
Here’s a video I captured at the finish line! (I was still in some pain).
As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com