Waves & Cross Training

A long time ago, in land far far away...

I used to be a surf bum.

I still love to surf when I can, but back in my younger days it was a thick part of my life.

One day I was out on a magical day when all of the conditions line up perfectly (and nobody else in the water!), but I had brought the wrong board.

You match the board to the wave, and I had matched poorly. I paddled out anyway, despite bringing a summer time “log”–a big, slow, clunky board for small waves–to a barrel fest.

The waves were absolutely ripping, and I found myself caught too deep in the barrel, when my board flipped up and wrenched my knee sideways.

Immediately I felt that sharp, hot pain that tells you something went really wrong.

It turns out I didn’t tear anything, but it did stretch my medial collateral ligament into oblivion. It immediately became a dangerous situation: having a board that had broken loose and was somewhere between myself and the shore, unable to kick with my right leg, heavier-than-usual waves inbound, and absolutely nobody around. I was able to keep my head above water and was eventually able to swim to shore despite strong rip tides, but I could barely stand up under my own power. It took a long time to drag that big, heavy board up the beach, but I was able to get back to the truck eventually.

Fast forward to the doctor’s office: Ol’ Sawbones informed me that the stronger I could make my quadriceps, the faster my knee would stabilize and heal.

The only outdoor activity left for me to do was ride a bike, so I took to it every single day.

I would get off work, change clothes, and hit the road trying to get stronger legs so I could get back in the water. I pushed myself to the point of sucking wind every single day, making my legs stronger.

What I didn’t know was that I was also making my mind stronger.

When it came time to get back in the water, I took the mental fortitude I had forged on two wheels into the surf with me.

Surfing can be a really challenging activity, literally battling forces of nature in a quest to dance with Mother Ocean. The sea can break your spirit in an instant.

What I hadn’t realized until this point was that I had been surfing with a weak mental attitude for years. There are some days when the ocean feasts upon the timid, and it takes Grit to push through and tame the waves.

Looking back, there were clearly two different chapters of my surfing journey: pre-knee and post-knee.

I had practiced Grit while mountain biking and carried that characteristic into surfing. Even today, I am still able to tap into that “muscle memory” of Grit when needed.

You can do the same thing for your journey with your business.

What activities can you do to sharpen what it takes to be a Profit Hiker (Vision, Bravery, Planning, Commitment, Grit, and Heart)?

This is from Profit Hiker: 11 Trails to gain lasting elevation in your business. Find the book right here and the program over there.