I was swimming this morning. I try to do it a few times a week. I'm not in the slowest lane. But, I do most often find that I'm the slowest in my lane. For the most part I don't mind that. It's a lot of work to keep going. I'm not the energizer bunny.
Most often I find that I swim well chasing bubbles. No, bubbles isn't a person. I mean literal bubbles, made from the kicking of the person in front of me. Perhaps it's like drafting in car racing. I don't know. But, I normally find comfort in the back of the line. I can rest, and can get off pace, and it doesn't effect anyone else.
To my surprise, this morning I found that I was slowly moving up in my lane. I started near the back, and by the end of the hour - had been forced to the lead position.
Leading in the pool is a lot like leading in other parts of life.
You feel pressure when you're leading.
You have to keep up the pace. You can feel others slapping at your feet. You feel like you have to be on top of it all. You have to keep pushing, even when you're tired. You have to count. You have to no where you are in your lap, you have to know where you are in your set. Leading is stressful.
As I find myself in a leadership position in other parts of my life - my experience in the pool this morning was a good reminder of my tendency to be content to coast.
Leading is hard. Leading causes pressure. Leading is tiresome. Leading is a great responsibility.
The coach said to us this morning "your goal should be to move up the lane and right to left!"
We must be striving to succeed and see ourselves moving up, moving out, & leading.
don't sit back & coast
push on, keep pace, reach beyond
set out as leader.