Motorcycles can actually make you better at your job.

Nope, I’m not joking.

Believe it or not, if you ride a motorcycle, you have some crazy skills that apply directly to the workplace.

But let’s back up a minute.
Unless you actually work at a motorcycle dealer’s, you’ll find that being a biker makes you different from your workmates.

Yep, you’ve probably already noticed.

That’s why workplace horror events like these cause you actual physical pain:

• Awkward team bonding activities

Newsflash: no, you DON’T want to do karaoke after work with other members of your “team”.
You’re already wondering if you’ll make it all the way to 5 o’clock.

• Work retreats

Another shocker: You don’t want to go on a work retreat where you have to sleep in bunk beds like 10 year olds.
No-one wants to re-live summer camp.

And if you were into outdoorsy challenges or boot camp training, you would’ve followed Bear Grylls on Facebook.

• Endless meetings

Oh, meetings are painful, alright.
The agendas can be pages long.
While you sit through all of those annoying items, you’ve probably started a mental list of your own.
It involves rating the most efficient suicide methods from 1 to 10, right?

Many parts of your job can make you want to just quit, go live in a tent, and start hunting your own food.
You’re dreaming of your motorcycle just to make it through to lunch.
Just try not to wear your helmet at your desk.

 

 

Right now, you might see riding a motorbike as an escape from work.

Fair enough.
It definitely is.

But riding motorbikes can help you make your working life better, too.

Motorcycles can help your career in ways you never imagined.
If you ride a motorcycle, you already have some seriously valuable skills.
And you even had fun developing them.
You can draw on many of these skills at work AND on a motorcycle.

Let me show you what I mean.

5 Ways Motorcycles Help Your Career

1.  Motorcycles make you stand out.

Look around any workplace, and you see flocks of sheep everywhere.
OK, maybe not literally (unless you work on a farm).

In many workplaces, everything’s pretty bland.
Most people are not bringing their full personalities to work.

But you’re a biker.
Good luck finding a disguise for that.
You already stand out.
Not many of your colleagues ride a motorcycle to work, or need somewhere to store their helmet for the day.
Most people have cute puppies on their screensaver – not the beautiful, red hot motorcycle of their dreams.

You’re not like everyone else.
And there’s no point trying to pretend you are.

So embrace your difference – and if you get noticed, step up and grab any opportunities that are going for individuals with talent and actual personalities.

You have a built-in way of getting more attention because of who you are.
Could you make that work for you?

 

2.  Motorcycles have supercharged your ability to focus.

A huge chunk of your workday activities are probably pretty automatic.
It’s easy to zone out, and go onto auto pilot.

You can’t do that on a motorcycle, of course.

When you’re riding a motorbike, there’s no room to let your attention wander.
You have to focus – on the road, the traffic, the bike and its moods.

You can apply the same skill at work.
You can choose to turn your laser focus skills on the job itself.

Why bother, you might ask?

Two reasons.

• You could increase your job satisfaction.

You might find a way to get through the workload faster, so you can get back to your real life.

Or by looking directly and intensely at your work activities, you might be able to make some positive changes.
You could add some elements that will make your job more satisfying – or even fun!

• You could get promoted.

If you’re focused on improving elements of your job, rather than being on auto-pilot, the quality of your work will probably increase.

So as a result of your sharper focus and better outcomes, you might get promoted.
That means more money to spend on motorcycles.

Motorcycles have just made your job better.

 

3.  Riding a motorcycle makes everything clearer.

EVERYTHING looks sharper in natural light.

When you’re riding a motorbike down the open road, a new perspective opens up.
Your mind is free.

It’s much easier to be creative.
That means you have automatic access to fresh, clear solutions and ideas.

So next time you’re riding, rather than block out all thoughts of work, try a little brainstorming about your job.
For example:

• Maybe you don’t have to take on that new project you’ve been dreading.
  Could someone else do it?
• Maybe the world won’t end if you don’t take work home next weekend.
  Is it really that urgent?
• And what if there’s a simple solution to a work problem that’s been right in front of you the whole time?
  If you need sudden clarity, a motorcycle ride is when you’ll find it.

When you look at work in a different light (not the fluorescent strips of the office), things can suddenly become a lot clearer than you thought.

You already use motorcycle rides to get a fresh perspective on anything worrying you.
There’s no reason you can’t apply this technique to work.

 

 

4.  You know how to flip between the big picture, and the details.

Whenever you’re riding a motorbike, you’re doing (at least) two things at once.

You’re looking ahead into the distance – watching the road, glancing at the sky, scanning the traffic.
But at the same time, you’re aware of the more immediate details and potential threats.

You need to avoid sudden pot holes, try not to kill suicidal pedestrians who step out in front of you, watch for traffic cops, and keep a keen eye on your speed.
So that means you have another rare ability.

You know how to switch between looking at the big picture, and the details at the same time.

This is an unusual and valuable skill.
What happens when you apply it to your job?

You could look at the big picture at work first, and consider issues like:

• Your long term goals
• How long you want to stay in the job
• What it will take to get promoted, or even
• Whether it’s time to change jobs.

And of course, you shape the future big picture by putting smaller details into place now.

What can you change now in your daily routine to make sure the big picture of your career is what you want?

Flipping between close-up detail and what’s in the distance is another motorcycle based skill that can help you to be happier at work.

 

 

5.  Motorcycles tap into your passion.

When you’re riding a motorcycle, you’re doing your favorite thing.
You feel free, alive, energetic – and happy.

The open road is a whole world away from the air-conditioned office, depot or workshop where you feel much more trapped and controlled.

So why not try bringing the two realities closer together?

Could you find something at work to be passionate about, too?
Can you look for ways to make your work more personally meaningful, as an extension of who you really are?

For example:

• Is there a project at work you actually care about and would love to be involved in?
  Figure out how to make that happen.
• Is there a different group of people you’d prefer to work with, rather than the morons you’re stuck with now?
  How can you shift sideways to spend more time with workmates who ‘get’ you?
• Is there some flexibility with your hours or days of work?
  Maybe you don’t have to be there 5 days a week – if you spend less time at work, you can spend more time riding.

 

Motorcycles can help your career in so many practical ways.

A motorcycle can be much more than a weekend ticket to freedom.

Riding motorbikes has taught you many, many rare and valuable skills.
Until now, you might’ve left those skills behind in the garage with the bike.

But you could transform your working life – and skyrocket your weekday happiness – by applying your motorcycle skills to your job.

Try it – what have you got to lose?

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