Mike's Big Break

FILMING FOR ADAPTDEFY HAS BEGUN ! 

Love this crew! (and the others not in this image of course too) 

PROTOTYPE TESTING DAY 1

FELT SO GOOD TO BE RIDING A BIKE AGAIN! 

TIME NOW TO REFINE, ADJUST AND REDESIGN. 

THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ADVENTURE CONTINUES...

FOUR YEARS TO FREEDOM

FOUR YEARS AGO I RODE MY SKATEBOARD INTO THE PATH OF AN ONCOMING CAR. Let me state that again. I rode my skateboard into the path of an oncoming car.

We all know the outcome. My spine snapped. My physical life altered. My wife’’s life, altered. My family’s lives, altered. My work life, altered. My relationships with my friends, altered.

It’s important to note that our lives weren’t ruined, just altered.

But it’s even more important to publicly admit that I take responsibility for this event.  

I was the one who chose to work in a toxic environment. I chose to work long hours. I chose the stress that led me to purchase a skateboard in search of freedom. I chose to skate down that road at 7:45am. I chose the aversion strategy when the car suddenly appeared on my side of the centreline.

Too often we look for external factors to blame for the “bad” things that “happen to us”. I’ve been telling people for four years that I got hit by a car. That’s a lie. I hit that car with my body while on my skateboard.

Why would I admit this now?

Because I need to stretch my legs some more. And the chains of the victim will only allow me to roam so far. There is incredible benefit in taking responsibility for your own actions. Not only does it free you from the shackles of the past but it allows you to claim the next choice of path as your own too. And blazing my own path is immensely satisfying and rewarding.

It is with great pride that I announce it is my choice to adapt, and it is my choice to defy.

Finally found the limits of my trike’s gearbox. 

Mt Fyffe in Kaikoura, New Zealand with it’s unrelentingly steep climb was a worthy opponent. The ride down was fun, so not all bad, but I can’t help feeling disappointed we didn’t make the hut. There was a couple in their 70s who walked on by- something I had always imagined Kirstin and I would be able to do at that age. 

This is part of our day when we’re working on the bike project.

As an insight, I’ve given myself 15 minutes to write this for fear that my lizard brain will talk me out of it.

Here goes…

Seth Godin introduced me to the idea of the Lizard Brain. It’s that urge to keep the herd within sight, because it feels safe. It’s that instinct to avoid failure for fear of being laughed at. It’s that feeling you get when asked to stand up and speak in front of a crowd. It’s linked to the premise that having an idea is easy but making it happen is difficult.

So why fight it? And how? (12 minutes to go) 

Well, as my last sentence suggested you have to overcome the lizard brain in order to make great things happen. Oprah fought it. Otherwise she would never have made it on stage. If Steve Jobs had decided to get a sensible job and climb a career ladder would Apple have existed? 

Did they fail along the way? Oh yeah, repeatedly. But they kept going and they kept going because they somehow learned to overcome the Lizard Brain. 

How they did this isn’t totally clear to me, but what I can do is share how I deal with my own Lizard Brain. Which, by the way, is chattering away right now. 

I’ve had numerous ideas since I broke my back. (perhaps the subject of a blog post in future) I’ve explored some in detail and committed to two of them. One of them failed, one of them is ticking along, and just recently I committed to one more.

And this is where the lizard brain kicks in! It’s not when I’m dreaming of the possibilities, but once I’ve committed to it.  Here’s what it says,

it’s a bad idea!

you’ll fail!

no one will like it!

you won’t make any money!

get a job!

(I’m over time, but I’m committed now)

So how do I overcome the Lizard Brain and move forward with my head held high?  

I start by telling myself that you’re most definitely going to fail if you don’t follow through, so you might as well give it your best and see what happens. At least then you have a chance of success. 

Secondly, I remind myself that my true friends and family will be there regardless if I succeed or fail. 

Thirdly, I ask myself why am I doing this? Is there a need? Am I helping people or environment? Is this project bigger than just me? If the answers are yes, then people or environment are relying on me to see it through.

Fourthly,I remind myself that failure, isn’t really failure, it’s just another teacher. Learn, and apply it to the next project.

And lastly, if the Lizard Brain is yelling at you, and you manage to silence it, feel proud knowing that you’re on a path that very few take, and the rewards will come even if they’re not immediately obvious.