I recently started learning to surf, in the company of my 7-year old. After 3 classes and scores of attempts to catch the wave and surf it out, I found myself thinking (much to the dismay of my surf instructor), that surfing reminded me a lot of what it is like to run a business (Or perhaps if you’re feeling particularly philosophical, like life itself). The highs and lows I experiences with every surf I rode and the ones I missed are not unlike the travails and thrills of running a business. Here are some parallels:

  1. The Waves keep coming: Waves are like the challenges that come at you when you are an entrepreneur. They don’t know (or care) if you’re scared, excited, ready or unprepared. If you’re in the water, the waves will come at you. You don’t get a break. It is the way of the ocean. So too in business. 
  2. Your past success are in the past. Can you surf the next wave ? So you caught a wave, stood on time, did everything right and surfed the wave ? Great. Well, it is over now. The next wave is coming for you so are you ready to ride it too? Like in surfing, celebrating past successes beyond measure will ensure you don’t prepare yourself quickly enough to catch the next wave. Had a bummer wave ? Take a moment to recover. But remember it is over and if you don’t recover your strength quickly enough, well there is another wave coming. 
  3. Perspective: Every wave seems bigger than it is. Lying down on the surfboard and paddling, every wave looks too high to handle. If you overcome that fear, every wave is actually an opportunity waiting to be ridden. 
  4. You have to be FIT. If you’re in the game, prepare for it. Your core strength matters. For your business too, you have your core strengths that are the foundation you will need for any such strenuous activity you take up.
  5. Overthinking ruins things. The waves I caught, I tried to tell my instructor what I thought I did right. I could not. I found that if I lined up everything right then at that moment of catching the wave and standing up, I did better when I was in the zone rather than thinking through my moves. The time to think was before I caught the wave. Sometimes, I find, that we paralyse ourselves with over-thinking. Like great athletes, maybe succeeding in business is also about getting into your zone, your A Game – without over thinking at the time of play. 
  6. Practice – when you’re in the water and out of it. Whatever be your business, you have to stay in touch with the techniques, skills you need to get things right. Whether you’re at work or not, your mind has to constantly connect with what you need to know, what you need to be able to do in order to succeed. 
  7. Read that EXIT sign for your comfort zone. You wanted a new experience. The thrill of surfing is the thrill of being your own boss. But you know what, you HAVE to exit your comfort zone in order to get what you want. Stinging sea water, scorching sun, being out there – who told you it was about ‘comfort’ ? It isn’t. But by now, you know that the comfort zone is not just over-rated but also rather dangerous because it can limit your potential
  8. Observe others, Ask, Learn. Ask what you’re doing right and wrong. My surf instructor isn’t my friend. But I am out there trusting him with my life and safety. In business, you need to build professional alliances you can count on. Find mentors who know more than you (helps if they understand the ‘ocean’ of business). Ask those you trust what you are doing right or wrong – but only if you know they will tell you the absolute truth. You need to have the stomach to digest what you hear – good or bad and then be able to pick on what you need to carry on. 
  9. Get used to that HIGH! When I did manage to surf, I felt like a rockstar. Savour that high. Try and get used to it. When you crave it enough, you will find you’re inclined to do everything right so you can savour it again. But remember point 2. Savour and move quickly. Your next wave is coming 🙂
  10. Have FUN ! My surf instructor had to actually remind me that I had signed up because I thought surfing would be a great experience and awesome fun. This was when I was moping cause I was sucking and falling and generally doing things wrong. When you’re stuck, remembering why you’re doing this can inspire you enough to get moving. Over analysing comes so easily, that it blinds you sometimes to the simple steps you need to take, to get out of that zone. Remembering why you wanted to surf, or be in business is useful every now and then. Of course if those reasons are no longer valid, surf’s up. If not, smile and get back on that surf board. Remember, the next wave is only a few seconds away.

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