It's good to be prepared. You know the old saying "Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail!" I was due to go on a 210 km bike ride along the Great Ocean Road this morning, getting an early start. Having organized all my bike gear as well as my shower stuff and change of clothes for the evening dinner with my cycling buddies, I met up with a mate and we drove 1.5 hours to where we were to start the ride. After unloading the bike and collecting the helmet, gloves and other paraphanalia, I realised that I had left my bike shoes at home. For those of you who are not cyclists, you need to know that clip in pedals without the matching shoes simply doesn't work. In other words, I was not equipped to ride 210 km, with several significant climbs and in a pelleton that would travel at between 30-35 kmh. To say I was disappointed is an understatement! I had trained hard for this event over many months. I had rested well in the preceeding week. I had carefully watched my food intake during the week to have my body in peak condition today. Everything was perfect! Or so I thought. Just that little thing of not putting the shoes in the car.
Ok, so I'm still disappointed - my cycling buddies are out there now, in the sunshine, no wind, on one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world and no doubt having a ball. So what's the lesson? Don't overlook the "small" things. Had I prepared a check list, I may have remembered to take the shoes this morning. I love check lists! So why did I not use one this time - well, they say "familiarity breeds contempt" - I've done so much cycling recently that I believed I didn't need a list.
Bottom line - use check lists! Always! They can help you get PROPERLY prepared and remind you about the "small things" that can derail a significant project or event.
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