Not getting out there and wasting time instead

Firstly, I know there’s a complete irony that I’m spending my time posting this……but

Am I the only one who is caught up in a habit of wasting my time thinking about, planning and buying things for adventures, events, trips etc but not actually doing ANYTHING??

So frustrated with myself at moment. Spend way too long on internet in particular but also reading books and watching films about the sort of things I want to do but never actually get on with anything. Turned 50 this year and really wanted to start leading a more adventurous life (even if around the heavy commitment of family and work I have). Spent fortune on bikepacking and hiking equipment I haven’t really used.

I have a camper van, road, gravel and mountain bike all gathering dust rather than bringing me the life I really want to live.

the inspiration is there for me but not the energy or gumption to do anything about it…..really feel like I’m letting life pass me by at the moment.

the inspiration is there for me but not the energy or gumption

Dreaming big can have that effect. I’ve been really trying to focus on enjoying little bits of everyday rides I do either commuting or the odd Saturday or Sunday mini outing locally. This morning, for example, I made a point of going down a route I know and like, but has the added benefit of reminding me of some of my favourite places like bits of the Scottish Highlands. Made the 14 miles worthwhile without being an ‘expedition’. Mrs fazzini and I also are making the effort to go for a walk local or otherwise every Sunday.

As an aside, one of the major issues I have is that my family has no interest in these types of activities so it means me taking time out from them. Even more sadly neither do any of my mates so anything I’ve done in past has been on my own……which is a bit sad 😳😢

I would suggest getting involved with people who do have similar interests, such as through local clubs and societies. (Easier said than done, I know!)
I’ve found that getting out cycling is much harder since friends I rode with have moved or become too ill. Even having a friend’s house to aim for for a coffee gave me an objective, even for a solo ride. I also have the problem that wife and dog do not share my enthusiasm….

I can recommend “a path through the Jungle” Steve Peters latest book. I’ve only read the first 2 chapters and it got be out on a decent Zwift session in lieu of MTB in the monumental rain this morning.

I could have put my feet up…

Ys I do the same. Commitments for many mean the time you have off is frequently useless for what we want to do. 1h here 30 min there etc.

As a serial procrastinater I find narrowing your focus (I am really guilty of this one trying to do everything and doing nothing) and making a commitment on a actual adventure. E.g this summer I am going to …. To do this I need to do X,y,z training or practice trips. Get these in The diary.

Saying I would like to do the tour devide one day is useless. Negotiate a time when it can be done and work towards it. Not some vague time like when we have done X.

I’m in this post and I don’t like it.

What’s helped me is booking things that I can’t readily cancel rather than thinking “I’ll do [thing] tomorrow”.

Yes, this year has been exactly like that for me. I have all the kit required, I have spent a fortune and if my partner knew how much, I would be living in a tent with all my new gear!! LOL

I had even planned routes and trips, but with a mixture of being busy with work and then being too tired during my time off, very little got achieved.

Next year (I have promised myself) I will be doing a lot more stuff. As a start I have booked 2 weeks off for my 50th birthday in the Cairngorms. If the kit doesn’t get used next year, its going up for sale!

anything I’ve done in past has been on my own……which is a bit sad 😳😢

If only there was some kind of online community with a diverse geographical spread of members that might share a similar interest you could hook up with 🤔

I’m a king procrastinator. I tend to ride alone most of the time which I find even more of an excuse to not get out as not letting anyone else down. So if you can arrange rides with other people that helps get me out the door at least.

I also find setting a target (usually a paid for event which makes me commit) and then get the kit required. Doing it that way round feels more rewarding and committing as just buying nice kit doesn’t in itself mean you’ll get out to use it.

You are in a rut and the only person can get you out of it is you.

It might be age related- mid life crisis, or it could be a depressive condition, but what you need to do(and theres so much irony to me on this) you have to take a deep breath and just do it.

A little bit at a time, just a 1h jaunt around the streets, or get the bus/train/car out somewhere with no real set plan ut in place a week earlier, because in that week you will no doubt about it find something to prevent it, and go for a bimble.

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I talk about irony because ive had the exact same set of circumstances for a few years, in fact more years than i would care to admit to, even to myself.

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Im into furniture making(as in qualified) and bikes, and as such ive wheels, at least 2 full sets of Hope brakes, including the new Tech 4 levers ive just bought, but as yet havent managed to bring myself to fit them. New Hope pro 4 wheels, carbon bits, all bought in the last year and stored away, instead of course fitting the blasted things, as i would have done a few years ago, usually within minutes of them arriving.

In furniture making I’ve spent just under £1k or so, a new festool plunge saw, that was not cheap for sure. Have i used it ?. Once. Bought a MJK parf system, for making multi functional table(a specialist work bench). Again i bought it, and there its sat untouched.

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I know what to do, but i have the crazy notion that there isnt time, when in fact due to my own circumstances there is plenty of time. I know its not laziness, its more organic than that, and i know what is needed, and i know offering other advice on what they need to do is ironic as i myself arent even following my own advice.

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But thats how its done. Take a big breath. Spontaneously plan a trip and STICK TO IT and FK whatever comes up to prevent it. TV program you really wanted to see. This place and al its mentally deranged members wittering on their own nonsense. Sod it. Just get out and make it happen, and im sure the rest will follow.

If only there was some kind of online community with a diverse geographical spread of members that might share a similar interest you could hook up with 🤔

well if there’s anyone around Leamington way who fancies doing something then let me know!

Yup! I’m pretty much ATGNI and it annoys me.

However, over the last 12 years (that I feel I’ve wasted the majority of), and more specifically the last 3 years, I’ve suffered with crippling anxiety and panic attacks (and associated depression) which has stopped me from, at times, doing the most basic of tasks.
Thankfully a fairly recent change in meds is helping and I seem to be making my way out of it, though with a healthy dose of trepidation about slipping back.
Fingers crossed that next year I can get my life back, start all the biking trips I’ve been thinking about, and more importantly do a lot of personal stuff that I haven’t been able to do.

I can be guilty of doing this too, although more around going out for a ride on the weekend – doesn’t help when it’s wetter than an otters pocket out there – I’ve got some super lights coming so I can join a regular Wednesday night group ride and/or get out for an hour by myself in an evening, when the weekend is a write off like this one it can be weeks between going for a ride in the depths of winter.

Planning trips I don’t find I have too much trouble with, I do both solo and group trips with a guiding company who I’ve been going on trips with for a few years now, 90% of the time I don’t know the other people on the trip but it’s always fantastic and there’s a few regulars that I see on the trips.

I’ve got 33 days holiday to take next year (plus bank holidays!) so I’m planning a few trips away – first one is a week in Torridon in early May, with another week beforehand, probably a few days in the Tweed Valley then 2 days in the Torridon/Skye area before the actual guided trip starts.

Also looking at maybe a week in the south of Spain in February, with flights it’s looking at under £1000 total. That’s 15 days of 33 taken… 🤣

I was a serial procrastinator; always in a state of distraction. But then I suddenly got terminal cancer. That has quite literally shifted the deadlines much closer!
Try and identify what you actually want to do, then do it. Make it happen. Don’t fanny about.

I cannot get off the settee today. How I wish I could go out in the rain.

Bla bla here.

So sorry to hear that Stanley.
puts it all into perspective and makes me feel a bit of a fool with my silly moans when things could be a lot worse. Can only offer you my admiration and best wishes.

Sorry, I honestly don’t want to make any one feel bad. I’m having a bad day today so not thinking too clearly. My lifelong distraction techniques are letting me down too.

Maybe I will go out for a short walk after all!

So much kit is sold to people who dream of the adventures shown in adverts then sits unused due to time restraints or reality . The classic purchase was the big BMW GS 1200? after the long way round tv series.
The vast majority never go anywhere exciting ..just used to commute etc . They bought a dream
A bit like Brexit really !

Maybe I will go out for a short walk after all!

Go for that walk, and think about the fact that every time you write down something like this you ARE doing you, inspire someone else to do something. Many of us can learn from you, don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re going through a lot.

I’d encourage the op to read your blog.

Thanks Kryton, I needed that 🙂
I’m going to walk to the local shop for a Yorkie bar!

Might have a sit on the 1250GS in the garage too!

Bla bla here.

Respect.

One of my favourite “tricks” is wanting to have a go at new hills, or hills I’ve not ridden that year, plotting a route idea on Strava route builder and then thinking I’ve not got enough time and/or energy to do that!

Annoyingly, this year I’ve not got out to the hill cluster between Hill Brow and Milland; ridden up Harvesting Lane to Butser Hill and for the second year running I’ve not got to South Harting. Very unlikely now until next year, as per normal it’s getter far cooler and wetter, plus I’m now six weeks in to being flawed by Covid.

I was smashing out personal bests for fun from March to late July, now I’m stuggling to hold my old z2 for 20mins.

Carpe diem!

Basically, yes. Yes to everything.

Watching people do stuff on YouTube has completely replaced me actually doing anything.

I really don’t like how I am at the minute but in between work and a baby everything else has stopped.

Commitments for many mean the time you have off is frequently useless for what we want to do.

Guilty of that here

I experience this to a lesser extent, even though I’m single and no kids!

I’m pretty good at planning trips and actually doing them, but there’s always a price for being away from work/life for a week. Rushing to get things sorted in the lead up so things keep ticking over, then dealing with whatever happened while I was away. There’s always something on my to do list, and often I feel compelled to tackle that rather than doing stuff I enjoy on a weekend. One thing I’ve started doing recently is change my routine to do all chores on weeknights.

Definitely spend more time watching videos about bikes/hiking, researching routes and gear, buying gear, and maintaining my bike – than actually biking or hiking. I’ll guess that of the time I spend on bike-related stuff, only 5% is actually riding bikes (and 2% downhill?) – the rest is the aforementioned things and travelling.

With kit I always have a purpose or some goal in mind. Do a particular route, keep the bike in good order so it doesn’t let me down in that 2%, spend a weekend in a certain location, etc. Also kit that will prevent me from talking myself out of going out, e.g. waterproofs.

For hiking I set myself goals like 50 of the most interesting Wainwrights, print all the routes, and keep my gear always packed ready to go. Leaves minimal room for me to make excuses for not going.

I have a camper van, road, gravel and mountain bike all gathering dust rather than bringing me the life I really want to live.

Perfect outdoor brand customer 🙂

But seriously, one small step – find or plan a 1.5 hour road/gravel loop from home. Load it onto your phone or navigation device. Get the dust off the appropriate bike, lube the chain, and check the tyre pressures. Charge your lights and fit them. Get the gear you’ll wear/take all together. So when you have even the mildest inclination to go, there’s no excuse. Oh and maybe a bit less of the outdoor films and books.

I’m not a fan of the term microadventure, but the idea behind it works.

It doesn’t have to epic to be worth doing. An hour here, two hours there. Ride from the door and see what’s out there…

I bought a yacht during lock down after watching to many you tube videos. Went out sat morning into sub optimal forecast. I was definitely in two minds, a few jobs to do, need some new foulies etc but I went, just got back shattered but so glad I pushed myself, even if there was a few hairy moments. It is too easy to stall but I guarantee you won’t regret going for it.

I find my cycling club indispensable in this regard. Without it, I wouldn’t ride half as much. I reckon your van is a huge asset, maybe try getting a cycling weekend away organised, even if it’s just for 2 or 3.

Life is hard enough, you gotta find a way to do what you enjoy. You can do this!

I have a spreadsheet with my fitness/riding/running goals for the year listed on it. I put off doing this for ages as I didn’t want to be the sort of person who keeps fitness goals on a spreadsheet (I’m not sure why) but honestly it really helps and it takes like 5mins to do.

Funnily enough I did a quick google yesterday for events in 2023 so there is already a couple of duathlons and a fell race scattered into the 2023 spreadsheet and I know to save these dates now and also let my wife know I’m busy on them.

It doesn’t always have “proper” events in there though- sometimes its things like “ride up a climb that is new to me out of the 100 Greatest Road Climbs Book” or this winter there is a broad aim of getting out of Cat C and into Cat B on Zwift.

I think its normal to daydream or think about doing things you probably will never do- especially when there’s so much internet media where we can watch other people doing cool stuff. I probably actually do about 1 out of every 10 or 15 things I actually think about planning- but the key is to try and make that 1 event or plan actually stick. I find it only takes one action to do this- putting it in the calendar, buying the ticket, telling my mates I’m doing it or whatever.

Too many folk with too much cash it sounds like – just go and ride your (existing) bike FFS.

It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance and it’s all too easy to fill your life with distractions in the modern world.

Hours and hours reading about and researching this stuff, buying kit, becoming preoccupied with what you need, rather than doing.

We’re also creatures of habit, so the more we do that stuff, the more we will continue to do it. The ‘dreaming big’ comment kind of hits on that: It’s the little habitual things you need to change in your day to day life. Get out and do more short rides: they will naturally lead to longer rides.

If you spend all your time thinking about doing stuff, then you will continue to do just that. The more time you spend researching and buying, or playing with kit at home, the less time you actually have for doing. Instead focus on doing little bits of stuff daily.

I find some concrete goals can help too. Something not easy to back out of. Personally I start to struggle when I don’t have something very specific that I’m working towards, because in this world of distractions it’s all too easy to put things off for another day.

Start with small plans, not big ones.
Put the gear in the van and go somewhere for a day – doesn’t have to be far. Repeat several times. Then put the gear in the van and go somewhere for a weekend.

Build a habit so you become a person who regularly puts gear in the van and goes places to do stuff. Then expand.

Added advantage that if you ever build up to the big big plans, you’ll have used your gear loads already and will know much more about it

Aim for something realistic.
A brew with a view for example, rather than an adventure.
Also, I’ve heard many people say it, and it’s true, the hardest part of a bike ride is the walk to the shed.

Reading this and thinking all my best rides have been on rentals or other peoples bikes after a big life event of someone I know.

All my cycling mates seem to have fallen off a cliff with partners / kids / illness or stress as we get older.

If you fancy doing the Naughty Northumbrian enduro I’ll be doing next year with or without mates. All distinctly average fitness and skill levels. Just enjoy getting round.

All my cycling mates seem to have fallen off a cliff

Tragic. Sorry for your loss 🙁

This is absolutely me, not bad at getting out locally at the weekends although few things holding me back at the moment, but the bigger adventures are all just in my head. Last time I had a van I was away all the time, single days, weekends, events, whatever. Now I’m forever finding stupid reasons why I can’t just go – fuel prices, need to put some insulation in the van doors, need to sort out a leisure battery set up, can’t get anyone to look after the cats…

Constantly watching YouTube videos and dreaming of getting away but haven’t done a single overnighter with having this van for a year.

Aim for something realistic.
A brew with a view for example, rather than an adventure.

+1

No one buys everything from Alpkit then goes and rides the Silk road for 6 months, even if that’s what their latest slickly produced adventure film would have you think. Same as no one just turns up to the HT550 and gets lucky with a new FKT, they’re out there on the roadie Sunday clubrun every weekend, doing other 24h / bike packing / ITT races, etc etc, putting in the hours so that it looks easy (not) when we all dotwatch for 3 days a year. Don’t get suckered into thinking that it’s normal, it’s like watching the Red Bull Rampage.

Just head out from your door with the intention of doing a longer ride than normal, rather than the usual 30 mile XC loop, make it 60 with a couple of self sufficient brew/meal stops rather than a cafe.

The other option is to do weekday overnighters and finish at work (as long as you have showers).

The other problem is some people will spout doom mongering rubbish about needing experience, and knowledge and skills to survive in the mountains. That’s true, but unless you’ve planned something spectacular the worst you’re likely to have to endure is swallowing your pride and checking into a hotel or getting a taxi home. The number of people who will be digging out snow shelters in the Highlands is minimal, you’re more likely to be toughing it out in a staring contest with Doris who disapproves of your bike in the luggage spot on the 555 Stagecoach from Ambleside back to Keswick. Do out, ride with whatever cheap kit you have, even if it’s more mountain warehouse than mountain equipment, you (probably) won’t die.

Enjoying this thread between youtube adventure video’s

ride with whatever cheap kit you have, even if it’s more mountain warehouse than mountain equipment, you (probably) won’t die.

Agree, that was a good post. If you believe the hype you wouldnt leave the car park without Gore tex undercrackers and carbon poles. The best days I have had have often ended in me being exhausted and soaking wet. Take precautions of course but dont let that process replace the day out..

That’s true, but unless you’ve planned something spectacular the worst you’re likely to have to endure is swallowing your pride and checking into a hotel or getting a taxi home.

Yep.

Tent split on the 2nd night of doing the Badger so Plan B was to buy whatever tent the outdoor shop in Killin was selling when I got there. Got there 15 mins after closing time, so B&B/Hotel was Plan C. Except there was an event on in Killin and I ended up paying £120 for pretty much the only room available.

No big deal, and did mean I was very refreshed for the long last day. Job done.