Keeping up with last post’s theme about doing instead of thinking and planning, I was listening to “The Minimalists Podcast”, hands down THE best podcast out there. Thumbing through last month’s episodes to get some motivation and get the studying, and creative juices flowing. Near the end of the episode, answering listener questions the mentioned they had a friend that after any event (positive or negative) he would say: “good!”
That got me thinking
How much of my own problems are bigger or unresolved; left there to fester and grow due to a negative outlook and “woe is me!” mindset? Also and most importantly, how much can I learn and grow from this situation I find myself in?
Even retroactively thinking about saying “good!”; instead of “screw it”, “crap”, “arrrggg” at past frustrating situations, has allowed me to analyze and learn from the past. Changing that mindset would’ve not only helped me immediately then, but has helped in having a better outlook in the present and setting up a better lessons learned future.
Let’s go back a couple of years
We were just past the trailhead and my derailleur cable snaps. Boy, this got me mad! Coasted back to the trailhead, put the bikes on the car and drove back home. There was an extra cable at home to fix this minor mishap. But because I was mad and was more focused on the now ruined morning I did a pretty botched up job and kept routing the cable wrong, getting the indexing and tension wring. Which in turn frustrated me more.
Had I said “good!” and worked positively. I would have realized that this was a learning opportunity, a chance to better my home mechanic skills and that there was still enough left of the day to ride.
Two weekends ago, my fiancé’s (have to admit THAT has a nice ring to it!) cable snapped. We managed to finish the ride, she was on 3 gears and went home. I said, “good!” time to relearn, time to DO! We went home, I put the bike on the stand and was done and ready in 10 minutes. 15 if you count the quick cleaning of parts.
Saying, “good!” is not a defeatist attitude
In reality it’s a let’s make the best of this solve it, learn and grow. It took me a long while to understand, and I’m still getting there and working on it.
So, I have a heavy load of work: Good! I could still be jobless. I went to a job interview and I didn’t do so well: Good! You tried, you went, lessons learned and improve for the next one. I completely blew a trail section I was good at: Good! You can now find new lines and remind yourself you’re not perfect. Dog still hasn’t learned to pee outside: Good! We get to try new teaching ways.
Saying “Good!” after something happens, allows us to shake it off, learn from it, not let it get to us. Setting us up nicely to the start of DOING something that moves us forward.
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