Life lessons from Motorcycle rides

Life lessons from Motorcycle rides.

Most of us lead busy lives with minimum 50 plus hours of work every week. Add matrix reporting lines, multi geo time zone work pressures, travel, business, customer, and people management. Life can be very hectic and demanding. That's the time, you must prioritize your happiness and well-being. Recharge regularly. Make time for your hobbies.

I have done several thousand kilometres of motorcycle rides across beautiful India over many decades.

Research proves Motorcycle riding enhances many skills. You need to be physically agile & fit, have great balance and reflexes, excellent hand, leg and eye coordination, temperament to handle uncertain terrain with sense of adventure, protective clothing for safety and also handle elements of extreme heat cold humidity rains etc

If done correctly, motorcycle riding is one of the most joyful, therapeutic, meditative and flow like activities you can do in your life. The sense of bliss, memories and achievement after a long ride has no parallel.

As I reflect upon my rides, I would like to share life lessons, from two special, challenging, multi day, long rides. One from Guwahati (Assam) to Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) and return in 2021 in the ICY Himalayas with two other riders. Another a solo trip of 1,600 kms to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) where three seas meet (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean) and return in 2024. Both rides were done when I was well above 50 years of age.

I. Himalayan ride to Tawang :

I don't like 3 things. Cold weather, heights, and bad roads. That's why I decided to do an adventure biking trip in icy Himalayas with broken roads at 17,000 feet. Confront your biggest fears and win. You feel great. Dec 2021 in the ICY Indian Himalayan mountains near Tawang, China border I was on a mountain bike expedition with just two of my friends. Three of us, Just 3 bikes, with no back up vehicle, with protective gear, and enough clothing to survive a harsh winter on bike for 10 days. In biking, Anything can go wrong. And it will. You slip, you fall, MIGHT break a few bones protect yourself, cover yourself, pray to your dearest gods for safe return...but the key thing is YOU RISE AFTER EVERY FALL.

Many people think what could go wrong. Avoid that. Visualize only on what you want AND you get what you visualize. I saw myself enjoying the roads, driving carefully, and reaching home safely. And I did it. Power of positive thinking.

Life, like business, is not about letting the Strom pass. But it's dancing in the rain and wind. Good bikers can handle 3 things well..

1. Biker the person, themselves (reflex, stamina, agility, fitness)

2. Bikes, their machines (any type, adventure to sports, when bike works, stops, slips, falls)

3. Terrain, their environment (snow, sand, rocks, mountains, valleys, good roads, no roads)

If you think, the principles are same in life and business. We need to be on top of:

1. SELF (constant learning to stay relevant, being fit mentally and physically)

2. Company (Customers, Innovation, TCE, P&L)

3. Market (recession, war, good times, pandemic etc)

II. Indian ocean ride to Kanyakumari Cape Comorin:

On a different journey, after completing a solo trip of 1,600 kms from Bangalore (Karnataka) to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin in Tamilnadu) and back via Tanjore & Madurai, I reflected on the experience. It reinforced the following management lessons:

1. Everything looks impossible until it's done. Don't over think. Just do it.

Can I do a solo ride of 1600 kms on motorcycle? Can I wake up every day 4.30am? Can I ride on saddle for 8 hours a day? What will happen if something breaks down? Have I packed all the necessary stuff? Hundreds of questions. There is only one answer - Stop thinking too much and just do it. Take life as it comes, as an adventure, do the stuff first.

2. Seek the perfect balance between planning and spontaneity.

We need to plan the route, book the rooms and pack needed stuff in advance. But I had enough room for spontaneity and could accommodate deviations, like visiting my friends place, which was not planned.

3. Know when to team up, when to go alone.

This trip demanded me to go slow, absorb things at my own pace, shoot lots of pictures, write a travelogue - so going with a team of bikers is ruled out. Also, I'm not here to win any speed contests for biking. If I don't get like-minded folks, I go alone, as I did.

4. Preparation is key. Read about the places before you go.

The story, history, geography, cultural, religious significance etc. You will then see the temple or stone sculptures in different light. Same about preparing for the ride with everything from sunscreen, goggles, protective wear, hydration to route maps.

5. Make time to recharge.

Most of us lead busy lives with 50 plus hours of work every week. Add multi geo time zone work, travel, business, customer, and people management. Life can be very hectic and demanding. That's the time, you must prioritize your well-being. Recharge regularly. Make time for your hobbies.

I love photography, writing, motorcycle biking, history, culture etc. Glad I did these now, as we are not getting younger by the day. The time- energy- money triangle must be ideal to enjoy things in life. Every time I finish a long bike ride; I don't get tired. On the contrary I feel energized and come back with fresher ideas and energy for office work.

So, in summary, my

Life and Business lessons from biking:

1. Treat uncertainty as adventure. Every difficulty as opportunity to explore.

2. Power of positive visualization

3. Confront your fears to succeed

4. Falling is ok. Rising after every fall is key.

5. Biker, Bike & Terrain are like self, company & market.

6. Don't over think. Just do it.

7. Seek balance of planning & spontaneity.

8. Know when to lead from front and when to let your team drive it.

9. Preparation is key

10. Make time to Recharge.

I have owned more than dozen different bikes over last few years. Here are some of my favourite ones. Have only two bikes now (Suzuki Vstrom & RE Classic). Also a collage from Tawang and Kanyakumari trips. Enjoy the pics. Hope you found my post inspiring. If you have been planning any adventures, I have only one advice - Just do it.

Nash Narasimhan Tupil