Driving Stick Shift April 14 2017

Last weekend my hubby and I wanted to get out and enjoy the nice weather. We started just driving around town, windows down, enjoying the sunshine! My husband thought what a perfect opportunity for me to (FINALLY) learn how to drive his car -- a manual! So we decide to go to an empty parking lot. Our old high school was the perfect place for the weekend since it's on the edge of town and nothing was going on at the school. 

So, we get to the parking lot and switch seats. And my husband starts giving me the low down on how to operate this machinery. I did pretty good! This was my second attempt to drive a stick shift, but the first time was roughly 12 years ago, so I needed to learn from scratch. I was super nervous and as a visual learner, getting all auditory cues on how to make all the nuts and bolts work felt a little overwhelming. I killed the engine once and my husband said it "wasn't even that bad", so I'm pretty happy with the outcome. We never left the parking lot, so that kept my confidence high! :D

Afterwards, I began thinking about how my learning to drive is comparable to those who are new to the exercise scene. I was a novice exerciser once, too, but I've been in the fitness field for so long that I forget that it feels like to be the new person in a group class or self-conscious in the weight room when surrounded by advanced exercisers. Learning to drive stick was a good reminder about being a beginner in learning movement patterns. Even though my movement patterns were to operate a vehicle, it still translates to movement patterns with the goal of performing exercises correctly and safely. So hats off to those of you who show up time and time again to nail your movements down for the purpose of improving your [insert fitness goal here], even when it feels hard or uncomfortable or whatever obstacles you're facing. Keep driving forward, you got this!