The middle of January is a vulnerable time for those that have decided to make changes in their lives in the New Year. All of the holiday decorations have been taken down (for most part), and we are fully back to “the grind.” This is when the gyms start to thin out, the dieters are sneaking an extra snack here and there and any other resolutions are being challenged by the return to the (pre-holiday) daily norm.
For the first time since I made a commitment to change, I started to hit the proverbial wall. I knew that I should go out and walk, but I just wasn’t in the mood. This was the perfect opportunity to make an excuse about being too busy or too tired, and make promises to myself to get back on track the following day. Without a doubt, this is what I would have done in the past. This is usually the first step onto the slippery slope back to my old ways, so I forced myself to get out the door and start walking.
As usual, I grabbed my Blackberry, a pair of headphones and I was off. It has become a part of my daily routine that is essential for me to get out the door. I tried walking once without the music, and I was back in the house within 10 minutes. Most people that I know use an iPod or some other digital device to listen to music while exercising. I confess that I have never owned an iPod, and have no intention of getting one.
I have found that using Pandora (online radio) is far better than anything else that I’ve ever tried. For those of you that are not familiar with Pandora, I strongly suggest that you check it out. Through Pandora, you can set up a free account which will allow you to create up to 100 stations of your own. I’ve personally chosen to create stations using bands that I like, but you can also choose songs. Pandora will play the band that you’ve chosen, in addition to similar sounding music. If you don’t like a song, you can either change the station or skip to the next song. Pandora’s free account allows you to skip six songs per hour, per station, so if you create enough stations, it is virtually impossible to run out of skips.
Getting back to the day where had to push myself to get out the door to go for a walk…
I chose to start out with my Triumph station (an underrated, Canadian trio whose popularity peaked in the 80’s). What I expected was to hear songs that I like. What I got was a message from Pandora letting me know that she is going to be there to give me the kick in the ass that I need on days where I’m not feeling motivated (as evidenced by the song selections).
The first song – “Never Surrender” by Triumph
The second song – “Finish What Ya Started” by Van Halen
The third song – “Never Say Never” by Triumph
By the time that third song was over, I started to wonder if Pandora is:
- One of the coolest combinations of music and technology ever invented
- The ultimate motivational tool
- An evil, mind-controlling device
- All of the above
I guess it’s possible that the song choices were just random coincidence, but that wouldn’t make for a very interesting story now…would it? Whatever it was, I’m just thankful to have Pandora by my side!
Waldo's Life 
Adam, I am also a Pandora user and I absolutely love it!! It came with my blackberry as an available free download. I can’t do my workout without it! I was actually thinking of you today and wondered if you used pandora on a blackberry or a regular phone? I want to know if there is a speaker attachment for the blackberry that would allow me to play pandora without the headphones? Thought maybe you would know.
Keep on keepin on brutha!!
Isn’t it funny how sometimes the universe just seems to align to give us what we need, even in the smallest and most subtle of ways? Perhaps Pandora is still all-giving, reaching out to you from her mythical existance.
While I do love my iPod, I must admit that my “Gym Mix” playlist continues to grow to include songs and artists that I’ve discovered &/or been reintroduced to through Pandora.
Stay motivated and continue to triumph!!!