It was the winter of 1997-98 and, at the time, I lived in Greeley, Colorado.
Since this was the last of my 3 years in Colorado, finishing up my masters degree, you’d think I was smarter than this.
I wasn’t.
For some bizarre reason I decided that, to save money, I wouldn’t drive my car all winter. That’s right. I would ride my mountain bike back and forth to school and work all winter, in Colorado.
Give me grace. I was 24 and it was “only” 5 miles each way to my job at Applebee’s…. plus I was a little nuts back then.
I parked my car on the side of the road, put my keys on the dresser and didn’t drive for 3 months.
Did I “save money” on gas?
Yes.
Was it stupid? Also yes.
When I went to start my car in the spring it was dead.
I felt like an idiot as I had my car towed to the shop and they told me that not starting my car for 3 months, during the winter in Colorado, had killed my battery and alternator.
My goal to save money had costed me hundreds of dollars that I didn’t have.
Would driving my car to work one day per week have been a better idea. Yeah…
What’s my point?
Many times, on our quest for something, we take an “all or nothing”approach when a simple “do better” approach would work. 100% isn’t always the answer. Sometimes 80% fits the bill.
Have you ever joined a gym then vowed to go every single day? Or did some sort of hardcore fad diet?
I once knew a lady who wanted to lose weight. She joined our gym and came EVERY SINLGE DAY for like 9 months. She lost the weight but when she got hurt she stopped all together and gained the weight back.
Years ago I knew a guy that did the keto diet and crushed it for months. He went from over 300 pounds to under 180. As soon as he stopped he went back to 300 pounds.
If you want to get results, in whatever you want to get results in, you need to put in a lot of effort. The more the better… to a point.
Just like my “save money by not driving” debacle the “all or nothing” approach isn’t always the way to go.
I see people all the time that are cutting out this sort that, or doing some strict program and I always cringe. Most times this ends in frustration and failure.
If I had to do it all over agin in the winter if 1998 I would have driven my car to work on Mondays. It would have cost me a few bucks in gas but saved me hundreds later down the line.
Just something to think about.