Flexibility

One of my first lessons realized from my motorcycle trip is the lesson of flexibility and being adaptable to change.  And, this lesson is learned even before I have figured out where I am going on my ride.

My original plan was to fire up the Indian and leave my home in Riverside, CT and ride south.   Down the Atlantic Coast and into the deep south.  I was planning to ride to the Florida Keys and then back north to the panhandle of Florida and head West through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and so on.

As I further considered this plan, I realized riding south from Connecticut and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where I want to explore, in the middle of March, is not the warmest of ideas.  Snow, Ice, and Freezing Rain are still very common in the middle of March in the Northeast.  And, while I want my trip to be an adventure, I do not want it to be deadly.

At first, when I realized the challenge of a March departure, I was stubborn and not willing to reconsider my initial plan.  I fought the effort of having to re-plan the itinerary and the effort of a change in mindset.  As I reflect on my initial reaction, I realize that this inflexibility and the stubborn trait is a characteristic that I have carried for a very long time.

In business, when working in a team environment, I would be highly resistant to change of direction once we had plotted a course of action.  If the team was committed to a certain direction, and new information was found that suggested a change of direction was appropriate, I would become intransigent.   Rather than take in the new information and consider a change in direction, or even worse a re-start of the project, I would attempt to shoetree the original idea into the new parameters.

When this behavior occurred, it frequently turned out to be a bad decision and the result would be disastrous.  We would develop a client solution that did not fit the environment or be not compatible with the client culture or mindset.  In retrospect, I know that the drive to complete the project, check the box and move on was what drove my stubborn streak.

As I replan and rethink my trip itinerary, I am taking a deep breath and enjoying the planning process and the anticipation.  I have decided that it would be more comfortable to ship my Indian to New Orleans and work back East to the Keys and then go north along the Eastern Seaboard and the Blue Ridge Parkway in April and early May.  I need to keep in mind that the getting “Ready” (Planning the ride), as well as the “Going” (riding the ride), is the enjoyment of the entire process and the luxury of having time.