How I overcame four stages of objections to achieve the unthinkable

I learned to ride a bicycle when I was 33.

33! That’s about thirty years later than most people. As I journeyed towards this goal, I went through four stages of objections that are applicable to overcoming any challenge in life. 

1 Denial of Responsibility

When the desire first arose within me, the initial thoughts that flooded my mind firmly exempted me of responsibility: “My parents should have taught me how.” “If only I’d grown up in a society where bicycling was really valued.” And so on. I overcame this objection by reminding myself that I am the master of my own fate. If I go through life never learning to ride a bicycle, it would be my own fault - no one else’s.

2 Resignation

Once I accepted personal responsibility, a deluge of thoughts then came to persuade me of my powerlessness: “It’s just too late. Your motor skills are way too set now - that’s why they teach you as a kid!” “Who’s going to teach you?” Etc. I overcame this phase by empowering myself with information. I started by literally googling, “Can an adult learn to ride a bike?”  Then, I researched the different options and even found and hired a fantastic cycling coach. Finally, I jumped in my car and went to buy a bike. 

3 Fear of failure 

So now, I was fully equipped to take this on this mountainous task. But as the day of my first lesson approached, the fear that I would fail to learn, that it would all be for nothing, was so real I almost called off the coaching and returned the bike. I overcame this fear the only way I knew how - by speaking back. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” I argued defiantly with that fear until it was silenced. 

4 Embarrassment 

Starting from scratch surrounded by “experts” is not fun. A wave of embarrassment hit me every time I got in that park full of people, with riders whizzing past me at impressive speeds. I was very aware that I was a fully grown woman learning a ride a bike in a society where most people learn by age 5. A barrage of thoughts came to suggest that I was being harshly judged as people, young and old, stopped to watch. Most with wonder, some with admiration and a few with mockery. I overcame this by reminding myself that if I didn’t give up, in a couple of weeks not only would I, too, be a rider, I would have overcome a far greater challenge than most people face to get there. 

And indeed, exactly three weeks after I got on my bicycle for the first time, I, too, began to whizz past others at impressive speeds. 

Olawunmi Brigue