Reframing Reality
Around mile 7 reality collided with ambition. The forecasts had been so wrong. My carefully planned kayak paddle down the Chesapeake Bay – from inside the Magothy River to Chesapeake Beach – would be my virtual race submission for Chattajack 2020, what was to be a 31-mile race down the Tennessee River starting from Chattanooga, TN. Now canceled, we could submit our times for the course distance at a location of our choice. The oncoming wind gained strength, the waves kicked up, and the outgoing tide was still weak. This combination meant my time was likely to be slower than last year.
The Virtual Race
In a virtual race, savvy paddlers look for a day when the wind and tide forecasts have both going the same direction as they are, ideally with good strength, along with smooth water with few waves. My ambition was to top last years’ time of 5 hours, 19 minutes. But current conditions and the fact that 24 miles still lay ahead cast a pall over my mood for the next mile or so. I tried focusing on the bright side of things, like how beautiful of a day it was and how lucky I was to even be on the water. Given all the things going on in the world, my small disappointment was about as far down the list of important things as one could get.
Reality Always Wins
I began to come to terms with the idea that today would not be a fast day. “Just suck it up and make the best of it,” I thought. A key part of any endurance training is mentally preparing for setbacks, those small decisions you’ll face when reality collides with your ambition. Reality always wins. The sooner you come to terms with reality and accept it, the better choices you’ll make in those small decisions that ultimately determine your outcome.
In a long race, setbacks aren’t necessarily permanent because situations often change – including water and weather conditions – and new opportunities can appear. Paddling hard even though disappointed is a learned skill in my experience, and essential. That was a decision I could control, and I kept at it. My mind wandered to all the hours I spent training this year, a practice I stuck with knowing that races would be few, if at all. The benefits – being outside, feeling fit, and spending time alone – have been far beyond just finishing well in a race.
My frame of mind calmer now, I stumbled onto a big benefit I hadn’t thought of. I could use this to qualify for a race I’ve long wanted to do. The Cape to Cape race spans the mouth of the Delaware Bay, some 17 miles of open water. To qualify, you need documented evidence of successfully handling that distance or greater in open water. I’ve done the distance many times but never with all of it in open water. Today could be that day.
Rounding the buoy marking the entrance to Chesapeake Beach Harbor felt pretty good. Having paddled hard for nearly 6 hours I was ready to be done. Indeed, my time was slower than last year, by 26 minutes to be precise. But it didn’t matter anymore. I have something new to look forward to next season.
Reframing in the Workplace
Turning the mirror on myself, where in my business can this reframing strategy be useful? Given the challenges of 2020, I know a few areas where I can begin. First on the list is marketing. To be honest, I’ve tended not to focus on this for much of the last fourteen years. But, with new products and new ideas now available to our clients, I need to reframe how I approach and execute how we connect with clients, past, present, and future.
Where do you see opportunities to reframe? We’d love to hear from you!