Sole Searching is intended and designed to generate and create serious thinking and deep consideration regarding one’s beliefs, motivation and driving force to finally move yourself to the next level.
Motion vs. Taking Action
In a very timely book by James Clear, Atomic Habits, he elegantly spells out the difference between the concept of motion and taking action and I equate this to triathletes training in their swimming. So many triathletes struggle to improve their swimming as one athlete reached out to me recently for help and said I am actually getting slower!
The thing I have noticed after all these years of coaching are there are two distinct types of athletes. The athlete who is inspired by “motion;” reads the books, watches the videos, hires the coaches, swims the master’s group but never really experiences improvement. Why? They fail to apply what they have learned. They swim back and forth doing their workout hoping for improvement, not paying attention to the feedback their bodies are giving them: more power, full speed ahead! The need for speed dominates and their Garmin sneers back at them: not today, maybe tomorrow.
Then there is the athlete who is focused on “taking action.” They also read the books and watch the videos, swim master’s and hire a coach. But, this type of athlete is not afraid of failing, is willing to step back, is in tuned to their body, looking and listening for the feedback by building and solidifying a training plan and building deliberately on their swimming efficiency and technique. Learning to listen, be still and “feel” the connection with themselves and the water. The “take action” athlete does not do workouts, they do “training sessions” knowing each time in the water has a purpose and opportunity to develop with no room for wasted yards back in forth in a training session. They are there to build, expand and mature as a swimmer.
Focus on your strengths but be willing and open to develop your weaknesses. This takes time, yes indeed, but it is worth it for sure.
“Swimming is really easy, but it also is very hard”