I am working nine-to-five these days, with bits of extra work at the weekend, so there is almost no time to go anywhere. And then out of nowhere I found myself missing paddleboarding.
I overthink everything, so I read meaning into wherever I happen to be. Even paddleboarding left me with a few lessons.
Fall in first
The first time you step onto the water you will be nervous, however many times you have been out before. But fall in once, get thoroughly soaked, climb back onto the board, and the fear is gone.
Life is much the same. People who have never come unstuck are often afraid of everything and attempt nothing. Once you have fallen and got back up, you are not just steadier, you are far more willing to try things. So perhaps the sooner you fall the better.
Take the wave in front or behind, never side-on
Out at sea with a big wave coming, you have two options: go straight into it, or put it behind you and let it push you along. Let it catch you side-on and you go over immediately.
Difficulty works the same way. Either use it to drive you forward, or face it and hold on until it passes. What you must not do is let it arrive unannounced and leave you reacting.
Holding your position is enough
On a day with real wind and swell, simply paddling hard enough to stay where you are, with the nose still pointed where you are going, is a genuine achievement. Stop for one second and you are spinning, or thirty metres back down the water.
Which makes me think that on hard days, getting through a day or a week intact is plenty. That is you trying hard. Do not be difficult with yourself at times like that.
Upstream first, downstream home
People who do not know better get on the water, love it, and drift downstream with the current. By the end they are exhausted and cannot paddle back.
Far better to go upstream while you are fresh, then let the current carry you gently back to the shore once you are tired.