The Habits of Highly Successful People, fear NOT, the author is NOT included...

As the poet said, “Only God can make a tree' -- probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on. Death doesn't really worry me that much, I'm not frightened about it... I just don't want to be there when it happens.”
Woody Allen

Part VI: Finding Humor...The whole thing is absurd! But so is our very existence...What are the chances that we are here right now. Think of the infinite number of coincidences that had to play out for us to be at this very point-in-time!!! If you can’t laugh during a race, you need to get out of the sport.

Part VII on the way....

Risking it ALL in the Trans-Wisconsin!!!

To recap before moving on to Part V:

Habit #1: Perseverance=Always and continuously fight the good fight, don’t ever quit, never allow a DNF to follow your name. Stop only if itz obviously a failure (this should happen only once or maybe twice in your lifetime)... Yet, Itz okay to live to fight another day. To persevere implies use of time to win the game...think “war of attrition.”

Habit #2: Managing impulsivity=Mitigate spontaneity, visualize success, and come with a plan (with options) to achieve the end goal. Resist the urge to act without taking “time” to consider alternatives. Concede to the dark times but only with the knowledge that these moments of doubt shall pass...Wait for the healing sun to shine before making any major changes to your plan.

Habit #3: Thinking flexibly=Rewire or “reboot” often, keeping an eye on the ultimate prize, but don’t forget to re-lube your chain every few hours, take in 20 fluid ounces of water and 280 calories every hour... The strategy may need to change if the unexpected occurs, tactics may need to be altered from time to time, but the goal of splashing Lake Superior’s frigid water upon to ones tired feet by Monday evening, June 21st does NOT!

Habit #4: Embrace the magic of it all!!! “The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious,” exclaimed Einstein. Live for today, for NOW is our moment to shine!!! Sign up for one or more of the following (or find one in a neighborhood near you): Alaskan Iditarod trail Invitational, Almanzo 100, Arrowhead 135, Barry Roubaix, Dirty Kanza, Great Divide Race, Heck of the North, GT Death Ride Invitational, Kiwi Brevet, Ragnarok 105, Salsa’s 24 hours @ Afton, 24 hours @ Seven Oaks, 24 hours @ Nine Mile (sans Granny Gear Productions), Trans-Iowa, Tuscobia, Cheq 100, Dirty Benjamin, Sandwich 50 Enduro, Gravel World Championship (in Lincoln, Nebraska)...And of course THE TRANS WISCONSIN....

Parts V & VI • Metacognition & • Taking Responsible Risks

“When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself.” Plato

Metacognition is just a fancy pants word that describes the conscious process by which ya think about the way ya think...itz thinking about thinking. Itz a good habit to take on because it forces one to consider “what in the hell was I thinking when I made that stupid decision?” This habit of thinking about the "why and how" of one’s thinking fits nicely with another habit of the successful; namely—Taking responsible risks. How do we know what we don’t know...we take risks. This whole fear thing is a big lie. People are at their best when they extend beyond their safety zone. Intelligent, successful people are continually pushing the envelope. Successful people are NOT fearful people. The whole safety thing here in America is a marketing ruse, a trap set by opportunists, a lead-in to unthinking materialism and consumerism. Sucessful people live on the edge of their competence. Going beyond, taking a calculated risk...Failure is often the case...thatz where the metacognition comes in...Success is risky!

Still to come...Parts VII, VIII, IX!!!!

Part IV....I can do this!!!!

Part IV: Living in Wonder & Awe...Successful people take advantage of their time here on earth, they live for the moment, and go for the gusto!!! It is easy to transfer this habit to endurance cycling.

Right NOW, WE are living in what I honestly believe is the Golden Age of Endurance Cycling. The opportunities available to anyone with a little grit are wondrous and awe-inspiring! Thanks to visionaries, a movement is in full swing that is affording incredible challenges... available to all of us. Just in our local areas here in the Midwest, we have maestros like Gutiar Ted and his grueling 300+ mile Trans-Iowa masterpiece and Pierre and Cheryl Ostor’s with their frigidly challenging Arrowhead 135. And now, following the lead, we have another whole set of young upstarts in Tim Roe’s Tuscobia, Chris Skogen’s Almanzo 100, Jeremy’s Kershaw’s Heck of the North , The Red Wing Boyz and their Ragnorak 105, and the list goes on and on to include new great races for this season, like the Chequemagon 100 and the 550 Mile Trans-Wisconsin.....What I am trying to say is that ITZ is Wonderful and Awesome...and that races that are just in my back yard...The events available to us right now across the country and the world simply represents a Golden Age...Let me not forget WEMS and the Seven Oaks 24 hour event....and the list go on...I am weeping as I type...Tears of JOY!!!

I can't stop now...I'm in too deep...I must PERSEVERE...Part III of IX

Part III—Thinking Flexibly

"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good...” Malcolm Gladwell’s right of course with this observation, but itz no novel idea! In Gladwell’s book, The Outliers, where he offers lots of compelling examples of guyz that practice, practice, practice, practice, he comes to the conclusion that guyz that practice a really lot tend to enjoy success at the thing being practiced. That practice comes first, and then comes mastery; furthermore practicing a lot leads to a high degree of likelihood for success. In this essay, I am attempting to apply aspects C&K’s research on the kinds of habits highly successful people tend to take on and to then make the leap to applying these concepts to endurance cycling events like the upcoming Trans-Wisconsin Race...

Of course the whole idea of success begs the question: Are some people successful because they, early on, adopt these efficacious habits? Or is it the case that once in the game, people that internalize these habits become successful, after doing so. Essentially, one can ask the legitimate question—What comes first, the “good” habit which leads to success or success which leads successful people to have the time and the wherewithal to reflect upon the attributes they possessed to allow them to enjoy success? The fact of the matter, for us dear reader, is that anyone at anytime can adopt a habit (good or bad). The message being that, “Ari, I was wrong all along, you can teach an old dog new tricks!”

Part III: Thinking flexibly. In any event, for our purpose, the next habit that successful people tend to take on is thinking flexibly. To think requires a concerted cognizant effort....much of what we do in our daily lives involves robotic or automatic maneuvers. WE are hardwired to streamline all of our efforts and this includes the simplification of thinking in the on-going and evolutionary quest for efficiencies or energy conservation. Yet, successful people spend an inordinate amount of time consciously making the effort to think, evaluate, assess, and re-evaluate their environments and their roles within these arenas.

The adoption of this habit of flexible thinking is important in successfully completing long endurance cycling events, like the Trans-Wisconsin or the like. “Flexible people are the ones with most control,” states C&K. A personal sense of control is a key factor in pulling off a long race. I have been in races where I felt like I was completely at the will of other racers; such a mindset is less than optimal and invites a sense of desperation over the long-haul. Flexible thinkers can take a bit of group confusion and/or ambiguity as long as they feel an outcome is imminent and that the others are all committed to the goal. Yet, these are also people that have genuine confidence in their own intuitive abilities and thus when gridlock seems the likely outcome within a group dynamic they will go it alone if their “gut” tells them to do so. This very scenario played out at Checkpoint 2 in April’s Trans-Iowa, where essentially the group's dynamic force simply trumped the individuals’ intuition. Due to factors (and parameters) beyond our control, our little group of four essentially grounded to halt because the situation had become so ambiguous that we were unable to decide on a “group” course-of-action, gridlock ensued when the goal became confused. Even the venerable Meiser and his trusty companion, Gorilla, seemed at best, unsure of how to proceed (they ultimately did the right thing, the successful thing, and moved...onward!). In stark contrast to the confusion rampant among the first groups into Checkpoint 2, Team Petervary never hesitated. To them the goal was never in question or in doubt. Sheepishly, I asked him, “what are you guyz going to do?” He replied nonchalantly, “We are good to go, we have the gear, we are just going to get something warm to eat, and then we are riding.” Such is the power of perseverance, the power of managing impulsivity, and the power of coming prepared both physically and mentally with options covered.

Successful people understand (and acknowledge the pros and potential pitfalls) the power of groupthink. Furthermore, according to their research, successful individuals do not overlook the big picture, C&K use the term, “macro-centric” to describe this point. Macro-centric thinking can be thought of as having a birds-eye view of the task at hand or having a kind of conceptual visualization of the overall challenge. But these successful guyz not only see the prairie, forest, and finally Lake Superior in a holistic idealized fashion, they also pay close “attention to details and orderly progression...” (micro-centric) as they move along the often bumpy trail. This means that the successful ones are constantly shifting “perceptual positions” so as to keep an eye on both the prize and the immediate situation.

To recap: Habit #1: Perseverance=Always fighting the good fight, don’t bail unless itz obviously a failure, live to fight another day. To persevere implies use of time to win the game...think “war of attrition”; Habit #2: Managing impulsivity=Mitigate spontaneity, visual success, and come with a plan (with options) to achieve the end goal. Habit #3: Thinking flexibly=Rewire or “reboot” often, keeping an eye on the ultimate prize, but don’t forget to re-lube your chain every few hours, take in 20 fluid ounces of water and 280 calories every hour... The strategy may need to change if the unexpected occurs, the tactics may need to altered from time to time, but the goal of splashing Lake Superior’s frigid water upon ones tired feet by Monday evening, June 21st does NOT!

Get fired up for Part IV Responding with Wonderment and Awe...I am working on it, but I am "awed" by the fact that we have snow on the way!!!!

The Trans-Wisconsin, Costa & Kallich, and me...

Part II: Habit #2 Managing Impulsivity...

As you may recall the aim of this work is to apply Costa and Kallich’s (C&K) research on determinate habits displayed by successful individuals (across the spectrum of the US citizenry) to the preparation and completion of the upcoming 550 mile Trans-Wisconsin cross-country cycling race (TWR). The propensity to persevere through adversity is the number one character trait or “habit” of highly successful people. As stated above in Part I, the application of this habit to the TWR involves a concerted and planned-out effort to manage time in an efficacious manner. For example if a rider can average ten miles per hour the race will take him/her fifty-five hours. Of course, this simple calculation assumes unrealistically that the rider can go continually for over two dayz, but it does provide a starting point. The idea being that in order for one to persevere in such a long endeavor, one must have target guideposts to aim for so as to manage the time.

The second habit to be discussed is managing impulsivity. Effective, successful people understand the value in visualizing success and then working backwards to achieve the end goal. Impulsivity is defined using adjectives such as “inclined to act on sudden urges” and “spontaneous.” Those who adopt a habit of managing impulsivity acknowledge that it is only human to be instinctively spontaneous (think flight or fight response), but successful people attempt to manage or at least rein-in impulsivity. In an event such as the TWR, the urge to either play it too safe or in contrast to go too hard, too soon, is great. Therefore, a way to manage the pitfalls of spontaneity in the TWR is to come prepared with a comprehensive plan-of-action, that includes alternative options should the weather become a factor. Questions such as: What would be the consequence or impact on the goal if it rains during the race? Or, what options will be available should I bend a wheel?

To recap: Habit #1: Perseverance=Time management and never quit, unless itz hopeless; Habit #2: Managing impulsivity= Acknowledge, then mitigate spontaneity, visualize success, and come with a plan (with options) to achieve the end goal.

Trans Wisconsin, Costa & Kallich, and my History Class...

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

--Aristotle

The Habits of Successful Minds as identified by Costa and Kallick include:
• Perseverance
• Managing Impulsivity
• Thinking Flexibly
• Responding with Wonderment and Awe
• Metacognition
• Taking Responsible Risks
• Finding Humor
• Thinking Interdependently
• Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations

As part of a course that I teach, we attempt to explore instances in history whereby certain individuals (or small groups) do the right thing (or at least history looks favorably upon their actions). A case-in-point involves an analysis of the character traits of the architects and purveyors of the post WWII Marshall Plan. The idea is to explore the question of how do successful people react when confronted with a challenging problem(s). In conducting thousands of interviews and surveys designed to ascertain the kinds of characteristics (or HABITS) that successful people possess, Costa and Kallich have made academic careers out of attempting to answer the above question…

Below is Part I of an effort to apply some of Costa & Kallich’s (C&K) work to aspects of our beloved sport of endurance cycling. This essay, in part, represents an effort by the author to demonstrate to his students that the lessons of history can be applied to the art of living ones own life.

C&K contend that successful people take on or adopt habits that are remarkably similar across professions, institutions, trades, and sports. It is noteworthy that the authors use the term, “habits” so as to promote the heartening notion that these “studied” successful people are not necessarily beholden to their success because of superior genetics and/or even God-given inherent talents; instead success has come to these people as a direct result of concerted efforts on their part to adopt a measure of productive and positive “habits.” Essentially, the fact that anyone can take on a habit, is the overriding conclusion they are trying to promote in the application of their research. C&K maintain that there are sixteen over-arching traits that successful people embrace across this pluralistic society of ours. I have limited this particular work to a review of nine of these “Habits” to which I contend are especially applicable to preparing for and successfully completing the upcoming Trans-Wisconsin (or the like)...

Part I—
Habit #1: Perseverance. “In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm... in the real world all rests on perseverance,” was the conclusion drawn by Goethe, and he was right! C&K’s work establishes that the number one character trait of highly successful people is their propensity for “stick-to-it-tiveness.” It should come as no surprise that successful people don’t give up easily, they always fight the good fight and yet they also live to fight another day. Furthermore, when it becomes obvious that they are no longer engaged in a good fight or a “winnable” one, they take concerted measures to change the game with an eye on surviving to begin anew when the smoke clears. George Lowe, back in the 1970s and 80s was one of the best American alpinists, known for amazing ascents up previously unclimbed sheer faces, and yet he used to always brag about the fact that he failed on many of the climbs that he attempted. When asked to clarify, he would inevitably cite the little maxim, “there are lots of bold climbers out there and lots of old climbers out there, but there are very few bold, old climbers...” The point he was making resonates with successful people. The point being that while such people do not give up easily, at the same time they recognize when a plan must be dumped and another employed. Of course, one might ask, how does one know when to abandon ship? How does one determine whether the game is lost or just passing through a tough time? C&K asked these kinds of questions to a diverse cross-section of those of whom their counterparts described as “successful leaders” and they all were in agreement that they are persisting well beyond the norm and yet they are also not averse to dealing with “ambiguous situations.” They are not ever married to a specific strategy for success, to them success is key, while the pathway to success is negotiable. So instead of giving up on the goal when a particular plan seems hopeless, they instead come prepared with a repertoire of problem-solving alternatives.

So then how do we, as endurance cyclists, adopt this trait or habit into our arsenal for victory in the Trans-Wisconsin or a similar challenge? The notion of Perseverance is at its core a matter of time management as it connotes the passage of time. To persevere is to “persist steadily in an action or belief, usually over a long period and especially despite problems or difficulties,” so the application to endurance cycling is obvious. Therefore to adopt this habit of perseverance within the context of a long off-road race is to consider carefully the goal and to then develop a strategy to attack the potential problems that one may face as he or she pursues the goal. Specific to the Trans-Wisconsin; the ultimate goal is to finish the 550 mile race. It would be nice if the author could vie for a top finish and the planning will reflect this wish. Yet the goal per se is the do the route from start to finish. To persevere is the manage the time and thus to my way of thinking, will ultimately be the number one key to success...Embrace Habit #1 and therefore arrive to the farm country that is the southern border of Wisconsin with a range of alternative strategies by which to persevere until one feels the cold waters of Lake Superior upon ones face!!!

Look forward to Habit #2 in due time...
Habit #2 is Managing Impulsivity

Moving on...and thinking BIG!!!

http://www.transwisconsin.com/

The 550 mile Trans-Wisconsin starts on June 18th and I plan to be in the thick of it...I need to be back in Duluth by Monday night, June 21st...so do the math...it aint gonna be no tour for me...I am thinking deal w/the Devil!!! You can still sign up...