So I’ve had a couple of good days of riding. Two days with two long rides, giving me a little over 6.5 hours to think, ruminate, and write in my brain as I pedal away. Funny what pops in and out of the old brain after a couple of hours of sitting on a bicycle seat….

I was listening to some pretty smart guys on a new-to-me podcast called Sporkful – really podcasts about food. Interesting topics were debated such as – what makes a good iced coffee?, the best type of peanut butter sandwich?, popcorn eating etiquette – so you get the idea. So in and out of my thoughts of food and my longing for a peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwich, my brain wandered to motivation.

Everyone has goals. In my opinion, each and every goal is a big goal. If the “thing” is big enough to be attached to the word goal, then it is a big deal. Goals are personal. But sometimes they need to be public. For some people, like me, I like to “put myself out there” – letting you know what is going on and what I’m shooting for. Others prefer to keep their goals close – this could be a privacy issue, a fear of failure, or just a whole “mind your own business” mantra. Whatever – the important thing is to have goals. Goals keep you going. They motivate you.

So as I was riding, my thoughts wandered to my neighbour. My neighbour is a technical writer (like me) and an author. He is working on a novel and has another one in the rumination phase. Anyway, he has developed a character that lives in Scotland, and my neighbour has always wanted to go to Scotland to fully research this character he has been developing for 26 years. And now he is going. Very cool. Very inspiring – here is a person who has been devoted to his writing and character for 26 years – some would have given up on the goal of visiting Scotland, finding excuses for why it “wasn’t possible”, “not realistic”, “a pipe dream”. But not Ross. He stuck with it and now he’s going. Dedication for 26 years. More motivation and inspiration for me – Ross is doing it – he is living his dream and seeing his goal come to fruition.

Really, if you look around closely and pay attention, you’ll find that you’re surrounded by motivation and inspiration. There are no excuses.

Thanks Ross, for the inspiration and dedication. Looking forward to hearing all about your trip.