Last Friday when I was still in the doldrums, I asked myself what steps I’d have to take to stop feeling self-pity, get out of bed, and go on a bike ride, which I always enjoy. I wanted to break this down into every possible detail, so I would always be able to repeat it again next time I felt low and needed to dangle myself a rope to pull myself out of the pit. Here goes:
From bed (alive enough to be writing in diary, but otherwise not doing much) to bike in 24 steps:
- Step one — and most important of all — decide that this bike ride is going to happen!
- Complete writing down whenever I am working on — just make headers to come back to later, it will always be much easier to complete anything worth finishing after the bike ride anyway!
- Put pen down.
- Fold up notebook and put it to one side.
- Lean forward, throw off duvet.
- Get out of bed.
- Swap T-shirt for cycling top.
- Swap pyjamas for cycling trousers.
- Go downstairs and put on outer garments.
- Make up water bottle and energy drink.
- Put on cycling shoes.
- Take a bike rack.
- Put water bottle in a holder.
- Find pump, tyre levers etc and put in place.
- Find keys and put immediately in back of shirt pocket.
- Find gloves.
- Find helmet.
- Put on gloves and helmet.
- Walk out of front door with bike.
- Climb on bike.
- Turn left to start slowly pedalling down the hill (can turn right, but that is more work).
- Turn left at the bottom to start heading out of city.
- Begin accelerating to decent cycling pace.
- Enjoy the bike ride — the rest is easy.