There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”.

Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes.

How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next day? This happens.

I had a cold recently, right as the new year started… and it knocked me off my game.

Fitness, work, new projects… all had to wait!

But accepting impermanence has been key to getting through it. Where are you getting hung up? Is it not going fast enough?

Or struggling to not sink?

Or just getting in the cold water (this is mine!)?

Let’s look at the last example- getting in the water. Why is it hard to get into a pool- or another body of water?

We’re fearing the initial shock of the cold water. We don’t like that sudden change.

We want things to be easy and comfortable.

Getting in the pool jolts us out of our comfort zone. But guess what? We quickly adjust. The water feels normal after getting used to it.

Focusing on the idea of the shock not lasting is the key to doing this on a regular basis.

This impermanence acceptance can be used to overcome our challenges and fulfill our goals.

Could be swimming success. Could be getting through (or starting) your next workout.

Could be getting your fitness handled, finishing your next triathlon feeling energized and healthy, or accepting that an injury is keeping you on the sidelines- for now.

Keeping this in mind can help with shaking off the down days, the sub-par performances, or even the wrong number on the scale!

We are not fixed as a “slow swimmer” or “fat person” or “the guy who gets a cold and skips workouts for a week”. 🙂 Those are all impermanent; often starting points for greater things ahead.

Swim on!

P.S. What ONE Change Can You Make?
Small changes often go a long way in swimming. What is ONE thing that you can do to get better? Focus on that, and it becomes a lot easier to meet your goals of becoming a stronger, faster swimmer.