Process optimization in everyday life

In connection with the new year, I decided on rational grounds to cycle to work. In addition to everyday exercise and contributions to a slightly cleaner city, the bike is the most efficient way for me to transport myself the seven kilometers I have from home to work.

The choice of means of procurement was, from an efficiency perspective, really simple. I measured, compared and evaluated the alternatives. The bike was by far the best choice from both an economic and a time perspective. But becoming a cyclist meant new choices and balances.

The range of bike shops, equipment and colleagues with a deep understanding of the cadence turned out to be huge. Purchasing a perfect commuter bike with race wheels and cycling pants with associated waterproof damask would eat up the financial gain for many years to come. I could take a taxi back and forth to work for more than a year for the same cost as the knowledgeable claimed was the price of an acceptable bike.

Even from a time perspective, it became tricky. With an expensive bike and exclusive accessories, suddenly there was the premise of being the fastest of everyone in the morning traffic. That, in turn, would force me to shower when I arrived at work, which suddenly made the bus a faster alternative. The temporal gains with a changed transport process were also threatened!

The dream of a fast racer was put on the shelf and instead took a process optimization with existing material. The timer on the phone and an estimate of body temperature on arrival gave me the ultimate time pretty quickly - 23 minutes from door to door. Higher speeds result in loss in the form of an unpleasant start to the working day and slower travel is a mere loss of time. Process completed.

But. I have to admit that I struggle every day when I am killed by an soon-to-be middle-aged man on the bike lane with an expensive racer and tight wheels. I would love to ride as fast as he does. But then I remind myself; He must be productive in a subprocess. But I win in the long run.