Ride #004

Every habit, trend, and fad has its genesis. But where exactly does it begin…?

In my experience, a true habit – for me – starts to form around day 90 of consecutive practice. And let’s debunk a common myth: that 21-day habit formation theory? There’s no scientific evidence to support it. Seriously – there’s not. Feel free to verify this yourself and if you find some, please end it my way {thanks}.

I remember my daily walking journey. Somewhere around the third month – day 90 plus/minus, I had this moment of realisation: I was lacing up my walking shoes without conscious thought. It was still dark and still winter. And that’s when I knew – I was operating on autopilot. A habit was seriously taking root.

The Cycling Question

Now, here I am on Day 4 of consecutive cycling.

Is this a fleeting fad (quite an expensive one if so!)…? I’ve been on Day 4 before. I think I might even have gotten to Day 6 or Day 7 back in the day… once…?

Am I riding the wave of a trend…? There’s definitely an upswing in ebike riders.

Or am I witnessing the birth of a personal cycling habit…? The intention is there – let’s see what happens – am I able to form the habit…? Coming into winter…?

Never say Never.

Never say Always.

Mindful Journalling

My early walking days were tracked (using the Sports Tracker App), but without any real awareness of habit formation. I simply tracked any exercise I did, and journalled as per usual, exactly as I’d done for the previous decade.

This time, though, it feels different. There’s more intentionality in my documentation (my keeping track) now. It’s going beyond just remembering to turn on Sports Tracker.

Last year’s bout with pneumonia really highlighted the value of journalling, to me.

I realised then, it was because of the years of always journalling with an Attitude of Gratitude – that I’d been topping up my Resilience Tank. Without even realising it.

Then pneumonia struck and I needed to start ‘withdrawing’ from that Resilience Tank I didn’t realise I’d been depositing into … that I’d been topping up.

Today … right now … I’m approaching cycling with this enhanced mindfulness regarding habit formation.

It feels different.

Understanding the Differences

Habit vs Trend vs Fad

Duration / Longevity

• Habit: long term – hopefully lifelong once established (eg, cleaning teeth)
• Trend: medium term – lasts months to (maybe) years
• Fad: short term – days to weeks

Adoption Rate

• Habit: slow, gradual, personal
• Trend: steady and progressive growth
• Fad: rapid uptake, sharp decline

Commitment Level

• Habit: high personal investment
• Trend: moderate social investment
• Fad: low investment, easy to drop

Sustainability

• Habit: becomes automatic and natural – on auto pilot
• Trend: requires conscious maintenance
• Fad: hard to sustain, lots of effort required

Influence

• Habit: personal choice and discipline – it’s up to you
• Trend: social and cultural factors at play (group think)
• Fad: peer pressure and novelty

Fitness Examples

• Habit: my daily consecutive walks – first thing in the morning
• Trend: Wall Pilates
• Fad: 30 Day Plank Challenge

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Here’s to forming another meaningful, healthy habit…

Here’s to being okay with cycling “just” around the block…

Here’s to enjoying the journey vs getting it over with to arrive at the destination.

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Here’s to SmilingOnTheInside!