Whitewater Canoeing Makes For Ideal Life & Business Analogies
I spend a lot of time on rivers here in Montana, and never thought of that time and all the lessons I've learned in my experiences as analogies for business and life until I read Sarah Johnston's interview with Joe Jacobi.
Analogies are a powerful way to shift a mindset, taking all the emotion and knowledge of something familiar, and applying it to something completely different.
In our conversation, Joe demonstrated the analogy of taking small steps in business, testing them, and shifting them when necessary to adjust to external forces, and compared that to how a whitewater canoe athlete can roll with the force of the current, testing different positions of the paddle, their body weight, and the position of their legs. Each small adjustment, taken with thought and intention, can make the difference between fighting the current and embracing its power.
You don't have to be someone who spends a lot of time on, in, or near rivers to understand this analogy and apply it to whatever problem you're trying to solve.
The highlight of this conversation for me was when Joe described how being mindful makes the difference between getting frustrated and fearful as the river takes control of the boat, and the thoughtful, intentional, subtle movements he makes to get "unstuck" from whatever obstacle he was facing.
As I make my way as a self-employed professional, building my business, trying out small ideas and shifts in my services and focus, I'll continue to consider this analogy, not fighting the current, but embracing its power to propel me forward.