Transforming Your Life Is As Simple As Riding a Bike

Cast your mind back to the very first time you attempted to ride a bike. Perhaps you are a Generation Xer or Baby Boomer and your first ride involved wobbly training wheels and a nervous parent with a firm grip on your shoulder. For the Millennials, the only difference is that the training wheels were likely replaced with your feet, and you were certainly wearing sunscreen and a helmet.

Regardless of your generation, you might remember encouragement from said parent and eventually the release into freedom. Your first ride may have involved the popular stopping technique in which you forgot and/or tuned out everything that the adult told you, and opted for a patch of grass where the undeniable rush abruptly came to an end. Although you got a bit scraped up, you experienced an exhilarating new feeling and a glimpse into a whole new world of potential.

It turns out that riding a bike for the first time is quite similar to making the changes necessary to transform your life for the better.

Step 1: Know what it is that you’re aiming for. It’s the prospect of having your parents let go of the bike and the mental image of exactly how that might look and feel. That is exactly the first step you must take to achieve your dreams as an adult. Conjure up a mental image of what it is that you want to accomplish. How does it look, smell, taste and feel? Embrace the idea of you living your transformed life. Visualize and allow yourself to daydream. Do not shy away from the details.

Step 2: Willingness to give it a shot. The key is to start taking steps now, as in today. Your first ride might have started with simply heading out into the garage, finding your bike, pushing it around, and finally hopping on the bike. To make any transformation in your life, you must start somewhere. This is the step where most people get stuck. They keep the image in their head and don’t start to take the initial steps.

Step 3: Communicate with others. Put it out there that you are looking to make a change. Share your dream with your supporters, your friends, and your family. As you begin to tell people your hopes and plans, you are not only reminding yourself of how and why you want to make a change, but you’re also soliciting their support. Ensure that you’re surrounding yourself with people who want to see you pursue your dreams. It is the same tactic that you employed as a child when you cried out “mom, dad – I want to learn to ride my bike!”

Step 4: Get outside of your comfort zone. Doing something new can be intimidating and unnerving. Go into the change knowing that it won’t be comfortable at all times. Think of your first landing in the grass. You likely got up, brushed yourself off and asked to do it again.

A vision, incremental steps, communication, and a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone may lead to extraordinary results.