Everything is hard at the beginning. 3 tips to make things easier!

Last year on holiday I completed my level 1 sailing certificate but it was not all plain sailing! (You can read my blog about it here).


This year, I decided to revisit the level 1 course because I did not feel confident or competent enough to take it to the next level.
We went right back to basics and it surprised by how much I could remember and how much I had learned last year. BUT I had not been in a boat for a year and whilst I understood the theory I was definitely lacking practice.

As I climbed into the dinghy and went out onto the sea, I struggled again to put the theory into practice. At first, 

=> I did not trust my skills and abilities
=> I had a fear of capsizing
=> My approach was hurried and hasty which rocked the boat more creating additional problems.

I knew the fear was irrational!

- The water was warm
- I was wearing a buoyancy aid
- A rescue boat was on hand
- There were no nasties in the water

But the fear was still there!

I realised that this is often how my clients feel; there is a fear of taking a step forwards in case it is the wrong one. They do not trust their instincts on the right action or their abilities to cope if it does not go to plan. Perhaps they have tried it before and it hasn’t worked out for some reason. All of this can cause additional stress and worry resulting in no action or giving up.

With this in mind, I decided to follow my own advice of the 3Ps; Persistance, Ptience and Perseverance:

✅ I was persistent to keep doing my best and I recognised and congratulated myself the times I tacked and jibed well (those are technical terms for those who are non-sailors!)
✅ I was patient with myself and kind to myself when it wasn’t going right and I could have done better
✅ I persevered through the lessons and practiced on my own outside of the lessons

With that my confidence increased, which meant my skill improved which further increased my confidence.