When I started mountain biking almost 20 years ago in Maryland, I was a terrible rider. I was about 25 pounds heavier than I am now, and I had a crappy hardtail that was too big for me. Pretty much every ride involved an epic crash in which I scraped or bruised some body part. It wasn’t pretty.
From day one though, I absolutely loved being on my bike. I loved flying through the trees and discovering new trails. I loved trying to hop a log over and over again until I finally nailed it. I loved finishing a ride and wondering where the heck the afternoon had gone.
Back in the early 2000s when I got my first mountain bike, I could barely even finish an hour long ride at sea level. I couldn’t even wrap my head around the idea that I would someday go for all day rides above treeline in the mountains.
I had no concept of what my body and mind were capable of, because it seemed there was so much distance between where I was and my goal. But I knew I wanted to become a better rider, and I knew I wanted my bike to take me to amazing, gorgeous places I’d never been.
A couple of years into riding, I saw a clip in Outside magazine about mountain biking in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There was a photo of two riders bombing down singletrack with the Tetons as their backdrop. I swooned over that photo. I drooled over it. I cut it out and stuck it on my wall.
I had no idea how I would get to the fitness or skill level required to ride a dreamy Rocky Mountain trail like that one, but I knew I wanted it. Bad.
Slowly over time, I became a good biker. Not pro level or anything, but a solid, strong, skilled rider. Despite all my so-called failures, I loved the sport, and never gave up. I learned that you can get very good at something (anything!) if you are deeply passionate and are willing to put in the hours.
I somehow managed to go from a clumsy, out of shape beginner to an advanced, fit, and energetic rider. I didn’t know the steps or what that would look like when I started, but I just kept going, and I got here. My journey over the years has proven to me that I can do anything if I want it badly enough.
You might have days where you can’t see the finish line, and it’s impossible to imagine how you’ll get there. But instead of focusing on why you won’t make it or what will stop you, try focusing on what it would feel like to reach that goal. Let yourself daydream about what it would be like. Whether your goal is to travel the world, have a wildly successful business, or just be able to ride your dream trail, let yourself believe that it is going to happen.
Notice I didn’t say “let yourself believe that it is possible“. I said: “let yourself believe that it is GOING to happen”.
I’m a believer that when we make a goal a truth, it has to happen. When you say it’s possible, it might happen. When you believe with all your heart that your dream is for sure in your future, you train your subconscious to act as if it true, and that leaves very little room for anything else to happen.
We often sabotage our dreams without even realizing it. When we view a dream as just “possible”, or “nice to have”, we unconsciously list a million reasons why our dream won’t work, and talk ourselves out of what we really want.
But when we state our dream as fact – that it is is happening no matter what, that is when magic can happen.
Have you experienced this? Have you had a dream you have believed in with all your heart? Have you learned any powerful lessons about what dreams you’re capable of achieving? Share in the comments!
