A moment in time...Are we as good as we can be?

A moment in time....Are we as good as we can be?

I have just finished working with the International Coaches in Perth, Australia. Where I have been coaching, tutoring and mentoring them over the two week period.

New Coaches stepping out the comfort Zone on pool deck. 

It is now a few days after they have all left, which has allowed a bit of time for reflection not only upon the 2 weeks supporting the Coach Ed programme but also on my own professional development.

Sue Oldham - Always inspiring - always setting her next challenge.


It got me thinking 'am I as good as I can be'? I imagined if I were, what would that feel like, look like and what would I see. Could this be even possible!!

Shelley Taylor Smith - Talking to the coaches about being realistic and whats really important in life. 

Then my thoughts turn to my athletes and the conversations I have with them about their achievements and occassional disappointments. Do I as a coach support them as well as I can?

Great North Swim - 10,000 swimmers take to the water - To race or give it a go. 

When I say support others - It means just that, I think one of the first steps to being as good as you can be, is for individuals to take ownership of their learning, coaching or training. Do not get me wrong this does not mean they need to know everything, nor does it mean doing everything themselves....But there is a significant difference between the people I work with that take that responsibility for their own goals and desires and the ones that may not have got there yet.

Active Blu training day - Trying something new - Why not

Working with the coaches over the previous weeks, watching them and talking to them about their personal goals for their businesses, home life and overall work/ life balance has been inspiring. It made me realise that all these coaches have done the above and taken responsibility to getting where they want, but also have been realistic about it. 

Watching athletes training hard. 

What I mean by realistic is that they have a goal or challenge, but they have taken into consideration all the factors in their life. Thinking about the time they have free, their family commitments and other elements they needed to consider.

OW skills and a lot of fun


Often I talk to people and they feel they are slightly under performing - But when it comes down to it, they are also managing a family, work, education and much much more. Obviously this differs dramatically from one person to another and although you can admire and learn from others around you, something to consider when trying tot achieve the same goal is the unique differences that make us so special.

OW training Night - Active Blu

People are so inspiring and we should celebrated our achievements more - To manage everything in life is hard, but to achieve goals no matter what they are, when we have so many other things going on around us is truly what makes the world we live in so magical.

My only option to protect myself from the stingers - To funny. 

So going back to the question: Are we as good as we can be? The answer may actually be Yes - In this moment in time I am as good as I can be!! If this is the case thats an amazing place to be.

Doing things beyond comfortable 
I think as a society we give ourselves a hard time, pushing ourselves to achieve and when we do, potentially thinking it was not good enough.

So lets still set goals, challenges and aspirations, but break these down in a way that suits your life,  and celebrate each and every step as you go.

Taking that step. 
I hope this offers you the freedom to do things your way. By this I mean what ever suits your lifestyle, meets your needs and creates the moments you will hold on for for ever. 

Coaching across the world - Sands Beach Resort. 

Be honest to yourself and genuine when reflecting upon your needs and what you want in life -  it will give and allow you a more realistic picture of what is ultimately achievable. 

Pip and Emma - Showing everyone how its done. 


Celebrate lots - ENJOY and I look forward to seeing you all in the water soon.

Windermere 2015
Dream Big

Emma
















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Keeping it simple.

Image
Swim Smooth Squad - Perth   Today on Poolside - CSS Set - Week 9 of 10. Returning onto pool deck in Perth, after 6 months back in the UK was a fantastic opportunity to see just how much the swimmers had improved over their winter period. It was insightful and also encouraging to see just how many of the squad had developed. Many of the swimmers had not only improved their technique and swim times, they also had increased their confidence whilst in the open water. So the question is; How did they do this and how can we achieve those results? Firstly, it is good to know these people are normal, they have families, hold down jobs and have every day  commitments. Squad Session - Perth. The key: Is KEEP IT SIMPLE - get your training right and being consistent with it. If we look at the Perth Squads , we can identify how their training week works and make sure that you too are ready for next years Open Water and Triathlon season. Answer These...
Read more

Meeting Sue

Image
Sue Oldham – Getting better with age. "My advice to other swimmers, or non swimmers, is don’t put off doing things, life goes by so quickly and one never knows what will be around the corner so make the most of this time, it can never be retrieved”. (Sue, Oldham, 2013) An inspiration to many wishing to challenge themselves this year. Sue is an inspirational, modest Character, having only started swimming in her 40`s, She is best known as the oldest women to swim across the English Channel. At the age of 65 Sue entered the record books finishing her swim in 17 hours 11 mins. However the list of records, stories and amazing accomplishments is endless. Based in Perth Australia, I had a rare opportunity to catch up with Sue and ask her a few questions regarding her swimming back ground, who inspired her and her greatest Challenges to date. Emma:   “Please tell me about how and when you got into swimming”? Sue:  “ About 20 years ago a frien...
Read more

The ripple effect...

Image
The ripple effect.... The Great North Swim.  It is Tuesday Morning on the 17th June 2014 and I feel absolutely inspired, proud and amazed at what I witness over this weekend. Great North Swim - Sat Morning After a weekend commentating at the Great North Swim, I am compelled to write and congratulate everyone that took part. 10,000 swimmers took to Windermere over a 3 day period, all challenging themselves in different events from the half mile swim up to a 5km elite event on the Sunday.  The red wave heads out into Windermere.  Standing at the finish, I got to see people cross the line and witness first hand the amazing smiles and sense of achievement on peoples faces. Most people had never actually swam the distance in the open water before and others were swimming for a cause close to their hearts.  Finish Line commentary. What ever the reason you took to the water, the Ripple effect is enormous. So keep celebrating your achievements, ...
Read more