5 Lessons From Open Water Swimming To Make You Successful At Life
It has been about a month since I swam the English Channel and finished my Triple Crown journey. I have had some time to reflect and write about this pursuit. Over the past month after reading some of my writings, I have realized there are a few key lessons that I have learned from open water swimming that can be applied to everyday life to help make you more successful. Keep reading for the 5 lessons that will help you become a success!
Go All In But Be Flexible
If you are serious about your goal and it is actually important to you, then it should be easy to go all in. Be prepared to make sacrifices for your goal but also learn how to be flexible. Not everything will go how you planned it and that is okay. It is important to be flexible and to tweak your training if need be. In the end this may be the best thing so don’t freak out. Just keep making the decisions that you feel are best to help you achieve your goal and it will all work out in the end.
Never Give Up!
It is okay to fail but it is never okay to quit. In the end if you fail, gave it your best and learned from it then it was a success. If you give up you will always regret that. You will always look back on the moment you quit as one of your deepest regrets. If you don’t feel this way, then you probably weren’t that committed to your goal. No matter what obstacles are thrown your way, if you are serious about your goal then you will stop at nothing to find a way to get it done.
Suck It Up & Ride It Out!
On the journey to reaching your goal, I can guarantee it will not be smooth. It will get bumpy and there will be pain, doubt, negativity and maybe even tears…lots of tears. This is totally normal but just remember that it won’t last. You need to get tough and ride it out because eventually you will come out the other side. My coach, Dan Simonelli, has told me time and time again “just because you are cold now or are hurting now doesn’t mean you will be in 15 minutes, so keep going.” This sentiment has gotten me through countless long swims and even my Triple Crown. I always think about it when things aren’t going great because it reminds me that eventually the rough period ends and you will be fine so get tough and keep going!
Get Rid of the Doubters!
If I listened to most people, then my English Channel swim would have never happened. I was told by many that my swim would never happen and I was wasting my time training. I never gave up hope because the moment doubt crept in, then my motivation to train would be gone and I would have missed out on a huge opportunity.
People are jealous and will do anything to prevent you from doing something great or even mediocre because it makes them feel bad about themselves. Those people are useless and are of no value at all. Get rid of them and you will be better for it!
I burned many bridges in the lead up to my swim and I don’t regret it one bit. The people I have severed ties with were not people who truly supported me. Had I listened to them, instead of reflecting on a great achievement I would be wallowing in self-pity over my biggest regret. Life is hard enough so why make it harder by surrounding yourself with these people. Drop them and I promise you will start achieving whatever you set your mind to.
Take Risks!
Along the way you will have to take risks. This doesn’t mean be reckless with your risk taking. I am saying to take calculated risks that help get you closer to your goals. At some point you will need to make a risky decision or two and that is part of the fun!
I took a few along the way but the biggest one was flying to England in the middle of the pandemic. Of course I was not comfortable getting on a plane to fly to another country but it was the only way to get to the start of my last swim. This was a risk for sure…a massive risk…but also a calculated one. I spent countless hours talking it over with my family to determine if it was a bad decision and what I could do to make it as safe as possible. In the end, we all decided that going was the best decision and I basically wore a hazmat suit on the plane to make the risk a bit more calculated and safer.
There are times that you will have to make decisions that you aren’t ready for. If you weigh your options and use sound decision making skills, then you will come to the best decision for you! Remember…No Risk, No Reward!
Bonus Lesson: You Probably Won’t Die!
Pandemic aside unless you are doing extreme sports or are a crazy adrenaline junky, then you probably won’t die. I think about this when I am swimming and I’m cold or hurting or am exhausted. I may feel all of those things but in the end they probably won’t lead to my untimely demise, so I keep going! There is a risk of death in everything we do but most goals are pretty safe with some planning. Be smart, plan properly and go for it because it probably won’t kill you and if it does…at least you went out doing something awesome!