The One Sure Way to Know You’re on the Right Track

I was riding my bike up a mountain recently and my wife met me halfway with food and water. She asked, “Are you having fun?” Without hesitation, I replied, “Fun? No. Am I enjoying myself? Very much!”

That interaction with my wife came after the point where I knew I was on the right track. First, some context. I was on a road climbing a pretty significant mountain – one I had only done five times before. It’s one of those rides that when you start, you hope you’ll finish, but it’s never a sure thing. Weather could move in. The bike could break. I could crash, cramp, or just run out of gas.

But there is always something that happens on that ride, and whenever I am doing something hard. Doubt creeps in. I wonder why I am doing what I am doing. I ask myself, “Is this worth it? This is really uncomfortable. Actually, this is pretty selfish. Maybe I should be spending my time doing more family-oriented activities.” And those thoughts go on, and meander, and the result is actually a decision point. Keep going, or stop and turn around.

The brilliant part about this is I’ve learned to recognize exactly what’s going on. My prefrontal cortex starts rationalizing why it would be OK to quit. Why it would be OK to quit a perfectly rational and noble goal. And that’s when I know I am on the right track, because that’s when I literally look to my left shoulder, and say, “Why hello there old friend!” Yes, I really do say that out loud! That old friend isn’t actually a force trying to make me quit, but an old friend testing my resolve. When that “old friend” appears, that’s when I know I am on the right track, because I know I’m being tested.

Once I recognize that, the ride (or the goal I am working on) gets a tad easier. Not easy, but it sort of goes into a dead zone where I am moving forward without pain, or pleasure. I’m just sort of on auto-pilot – focusing on the road in front of me versus the summit miles away. The good part of this phase is that I know I will soon be in the final phase, and that’s when I know the goal is near, and barring a disaster, I will accomplish what I set out to do. That’s when I look over my right shoulder, and say, “We got this!”

The next time you find yourself wondering whether you’re on the right track, recognize that big, worthwhile goals that are aligned with your values will always bump up against that “old friend.” How will you answer when asked, “Are you having fun?”

Check out my new course on LinkedIn Learning on GRIT (lnkd.in/grit). It’s about staying focused on the goal during difficult times, and how to bring others along with you.