Many of us, me included, find ourselves unwittingly fighting against the tides and currents of the universe. I’m not saying life is meant to be easy. I’m also not saying we don’t need to put in the work, because we absolutely do. However, I do believe we are making the wrong part hard.
There are currents in the vast ocean that cannot be fought against. As swimmers, we’re taught that if we’re caught in a rip tide, swim parallel to shore until you’re out of the current. If you try to swim back to shore, you will exhaust yourself against the inexorable movement of water.
This applies equally in life. The times that I’ve fought against the currents of the universe are the times I’ve exhausted myself without any gain. The catch is that it is much harder to see these currents. It requires understanding your strengths and weaknesses, your team’s strengths and weaknesses, your overall culture, your marketplace’s needs, etc.
This is an under resourced area of our individual lives and our companies. It’s hard to do and doesn’t have an immediate pay off. It is the equivalent of sitting on the shore instead of getting into the water. However, spending the time to understand yourself, your marketplace, your team and how all can be aligned can pay dividends once you start swimming!
Photo: This is an overhead shot of the swirling currents of Deception Pass in Washington State. There are times when boats cannot travel through these currents!