What I learned about myself through gamification
After I graciously accepted the cheesy Moderne Monocle my husband gifted to me on Mother’s Day (it’s the thought that counts, right, and in his defense I did causally mention that having one would be cool), a brand new Peloton, the gift that keeps on giving, showed up at my house on a delivery truck a few days later. Yay! I have wanted to pull the trigger on one since Covid, and I immediately dove into all of the classes and features it offers.
I am a sucker for gamification. I have been reeled into purchasing many apps that integrate features like challenges, achievements, progress tracking, and social elements that encourage friendly competition and accountability. I was thrilled to see these gamification options for the Peloton; specifically Lanebreak, which has become my favorite. Little did I know that this heart-pumping workout would also enlighten me.
Peloton Lanebreak - the gamification workout that made me think about the choices I make
Every single day we are challenged with micro and macro decisions, easy and complex choices of all shapes and sizes. Did you know that studies suggest that an average adult makes around 35,000 conscious decisions per day? As I was pedaling along to Duran Duran (one of my guilty pleasure 80’s bands) I realized that I had to make continual choices between the easier lane, or the more difficult (higher resistance) lane. My goal for that workout, and every Lanebreak ride, is to hit the 100% completion award and the choices I made were going to affect my outcome.
In this particular ride, I made sure I was choosing the more difficult lane at every choice, which would give me more points. Only once or twice did I opt for the lesser resistance to catch my breath. I am literally dripping in sweat, busting my ass, and the closest I can get is 98% completion! I keep falling short by two percent. I don’t enjoy losing, especially when I am up against myself.
So, this made me think about all of the decisions I make on the daily. Taking the easy road may provide immediate comfort and convenience, but it could also lead to a sense of emptiness and regret, as we fail to embrace the challenges and growth that the harder road might offer. And while I didn’t reach my goal during that ride, I still feel a sense of accomplishment, increased strength and growth for choosing the more difficult road.
Why can’t I get to 100%?
I’ve got a little over a month of these workouts under my belt. I have high hopes at the beginning of every ride and believe me, the effort is there! I am beginning to wonder if the 100% is even attainable? Or is that part of the draw to bring you back over and over again? Next time, I am going to try the same workout but always choose the lane with lesser resistance and see where I land percentage-wise. I’ll report back in another post with my results and how I generally feel about that. Now I am curious.
Lead by example
I've embarked on a joyride of fitness and fun. Peloton, prepare to witness the journey of this zany, monocle-wearing warrior! As a mom of boys, I’ve always tried my best to share my competitive, healthy, and active endeavors with them to show the importance of making good choices in both health and in life. I hope that they, and you, continue to challenge up the hard road sometimes, but rest when you need to. So to my readers, delve deeper, and question the choices you make on this profound journey of decision-making. May your journey be enlightening, transformative, and filled with the treasures of self-discovery.
Blog song of the day
As a super music enthusiast with a wide range of tastes (except country- sorry country fans you can’t convert me) I want to end each post with a song of the day. Since I am heading to the Stevie Nicks concert this weekend, it’s only fitting I include this one!
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