What I’ve learned in six months
Six months into my sailing journey and it’s been a wild one. The basic metrics alone even surprised me. 11,186 Nautical Miles covered just in crossing the Atlantic twice! A goal that many sailors wait a lifetime to accomplish as a bucket list item, I’ve done it in my first sailing venture. Additionally, the amount of financial support I have received in addition to my self-funding. I am very grateful to all my supporters and crew team in all of this. This truly has been a spectacular in pivoting my career to include sailing and oceans into my already meaningful work in climate action and youth outdoor engagement.
In this brief update, I just want to share some of the sailing and non-sailings thoughts and learnings that has been re-enforced for me.
1) Supporters and Fundraising:
In setting out on this venture, I truly believed that if you move forward with what you want with true intentions, people will listen. People will think. People will believe. And People will support. But it takes your own actions to start. Seeking supporters is not an easy task and it is one I take seriously. I treat my supporters with the utmost respect and am very mindful of their contributions to my effort. Whether it’s $1 to $5,000, I will never use the money frivolously. Your contributions go to supporting the launch of something unique and thus will always be used to move the needle forward.
My hope is that every and each one of my supporters are inspired by my actions and that this inspiration also takes them toward a new step for themselves. I would appreciate hearing about you and learn how my actions encouraged you to pursue something meaningful yet difficult or challenging.
2) Teamwork
For many of my past competitive endeavors, I’ve always been a single player. Being on a 23 meter/70 foot boat forces you to change your paradigms. Adjusting to team work was not an easy endeavor for me. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because of the pacing. Working with people with and without sailing experience was one component of the challenge. Coming from a strong background in adventure and outdoor sports, I found parts of sailing easy to learn and others a completely new challenge. The uncomfortableness of the learning curve was made less steep through teammates coaching me and vice versa.
Another positive component is my professional history working internationally and with a multitude of cultural backgrounds. But even having that, adjusting to a life on a boat with a multicultural crew still took time. Close quarters, 48 hour shift schedules, and repetitive food can make anyone a little grumpy, tired, and frustrated over a course of weeks. Once again, your teammates will be the one that can see your struggle or joy at any moment of the day. So treating them with kindness even in the worst of times will only serve you well. Taking the individual situation out of the equation serves the benefit of the team. Personalities are multitudes, you won’t get along with them all, and you don’t have to manage them all. As always, the only one that you need manage is your own. Move along your bad days and you will get to the good days.
3) Engage and Disengage
Ocean racing is a constant. You don’t necessarily get a full rest. When you get a chance to reenergize, either from being social, going to sleep, or listening to music. Take it. In tight quarters, privacy is near non-existent. You learn to not mind others business and will wish for the same thing for yourself.
The larger lesson is simply the classic: Rest. While I wish I could be my best at every moment and work to give my best when ON, the reality is one little thing can keep you from that. Making time and space for yourself is not just for yourself. It is for the good to the team as well. Without it, the build up of frustration, resentment, anger, judgement and every other non-beneficial emotion just rises up. So learning when and how to engage and disengage quickly is paramount. As always… Learn to “Let Go”.
For the most part, many of you know this, so writing them down is simply a reminder to you. But for the younger audience who push toward their own challenges, it’s the speed of self reminder to become habit that I encourage you to master. I skill I am still work on. And thus I continue along this journey.