Howdy Traipsers,

Let's launch with a quote from the excellent book Montaigne about the famous French philosopher.

Sure, it's pleasant to be comfortable and have everything go right during a trip. *yawn* C'mon, the worst trip experiences make the best stories! (Weird, why does this make me think of bikepacking?)


Teetering About, Edition 84 features:

-Overnight success is a myth

-Tiny soccer stars are hilarious

-Solutions for cold toes

Onward!
Dakota

Overnight success is a myth

If learning to play piano and speak Italian has taught me anything, it's that I'm a total savant and acquiring those skills is easy.
Juuust kidding. That shit is hard! I spent 30 minutes today playing the same five measures of Autumn Leaves to get the funky jazz rhythm down...

Indeed, I've learned there are no shortcuts to dedicated, hard work. James Clear agrees: success takes concerted effort. However, he shares strategies (not hacks!) to accelerate success, which he calls multipliers.

Here are two:

1. Get short-term feedback

Bad posture? Put a piece of tape on the back of your shirt so you notice whenever you slouch. Learning a skill? Get a teacher and book weekly appointments before you create bad habits.

2. Surround yourself with an environment that promotes your new behavior.

James says this is the best success "hack" there is and I agree. Want to try a plant-based diet? Get rid of all the non-vegan foods in the house. Want to work out more consistently? Find friends who do. Want to push yourself in business? Join an entrepreneurs group.

Tiny Soccer Stars

Random guy on the internet looks at pictures of athletes competing and thinks, "hey, what if I shrunk them?"

So he did. Enjoy them all on his Instagram, but here are two from via the ever-curious Kottke.org. I love how a small (heh) change to an image is so transformative.

'Tis winter

Montaigne might appreciate mid-trip surprises, but I bet he didn't love having cold feet. I certainly don't.
When a winter bike ride dips into the freezing temperatures, I smack these adhesive toe warmers on top of each foot and I'm good to go. (I linked to them in January, but hey, it's winter again!)

The downside is that they're single-use disposables. However, I want my toes to be multiple use and frostbite affects that goal...

Thanks for perusing this issue of Traipsing About.
 

Unsolicited advice is like the worst train ride you've ever taken. At least you can laugh about it later...if the emotional damage isn't permanent, of course.

This week’s advice: create an environment that encourages your best. Also, stay away from puking travelers

P.S. I'm no downhill ski junkie, but practically cheered at the phenomenal talent in this Red Bull video. How. Does. He. Do. Those. Things!?