Look Where You Want to Go: How I Learned to Ride a Motorcycle and Got a New Career
By Catherine Leonard

A couple of years ago I was in a “dead-end” job. I was 43, bored with my career and definitely not realizing my full potential, personally or professionally. I’d always toyed with the idea of having my own (undefined) business, but I’d never had the confidence to do it. It was just easier to stay where I was. After all, I wasn’t going to starve – it was okay. But just okay.

Something I’d always thought would be fun (but also never got around to) was motorcycling.

The turning point came when I first rode on the back of a friend’s bike and suddenly found myself wanting to be in the driver’s seat – not at all usual for me! And I found that learning to ride a motorcycle safely is a complicated undertaking – just like starting your own business.

There was a training course to book, a road test to pass, all the right clothing and a helmet to select – it was a lot of research. I loved it and I hadn’t even been near a motorbike yet! Here was a learning challenge that I was really interested in.

So last summer I found myself on a decrepit 150cc motorbike, in a big parking lot filled with 24 other trainees and an awful lot of little orange cones.

On the track, training to look through corners.

For three days I learned from scratch – how to use the throttle, how to shift gears, how to brake and balance and corner properly. I sweated and my hands hurt and I got rained on. And I learned the most important lesson of all: look where you want to go. This simple rule is the absolute bottom line of motorcycling – and of achieving your career goals.

I passed my road test, bought my own (modest and fairly elderly) bike and spent the whole summer beating around my neighborhood. I overcame many obstacles – persisting when I was scared, handling other traffic, staying in control at higher speeds.

I was amazed and overjoyed at what I could achieve in baby steps, doing something I loved and putting in the time to acquire new skills. I was gaining a huge amount of confidence.

My first motorbike – I can't quite believe it!

Of course, these lessons began to spill over into my professional life almost at once. I started to think seriously about skills I already had that could be the foundation for a new business. I’d done lots of technical writing and created successful funding proposals, so I knew that I should seriously consider some aspect of writing.

Then I discovered that there’s a huge demand for copywriters, and I knew at once that it was a perfect fit for me. For the first time in my life I was ready to take control of my career and trust that I could become a successful freelancer.

The lessons I learned in becoming a proficient motorcyclist gave me these insights into being your own boss:

• Look where you want to go. Stay on track, make achievable goals and keep your eyes focussed as far down the road as you can see.
• Persistence pays. If you fall off, or obstacles seem insurmountable, get back on and try a different approach.
• You’re in total control. Working a 9-5 job is like driving a car – the road is pretty predictable. Having your own business is like riding a bike – it’s scarier and there’s a lot more to watch out for, but it’s so much more rewarding!
• Take baby steps. Set small goals every day. Practise. Practise more. Soon you’ll be heading for the racetrack – and your first big contract.
• Getting up early is a good thing. It’s quiet on the road (and at your desk) and you can achieve an awful lot before everyone else is out and about.

Now, I’m not saying that motorcycling is for everyone. You might prefer public speaking, skydiving, learning to draw, or something else that’s your own personal challenge. You don’t have to become a different person – just step a little outside your comfort zone and give it a try. Then … apply what you learn to further your business goals. It’s really as easy as that.

This year I have a bigger, faster motorbike and I’m planning a week-long tour. Oh yes, and I’m aiming to quit my day job by the end of 2010.