Surf's Up for Change

I did an interview today about change for Men's Health magazine - yup, men do do change too. (Could that be a song title?) The joke of course is that in the pages of Men's Health men take on change as long as there is sex every day and built abs as a bonus! Anyway I digress - quite a lot actually.

While I was talking about change I was reminded of a metaphor I've used to describe change. Surfing.

Nope, I've never been a surfer. Believe me, I would not be able to stand up on a board. In fact, I couldn't think of anything more uncool than me trying to stand on a board! BUT - I do have an imagination, and I have seen enough people looking good on waves big and small. So what has surfing got to do with change?

I can imagine what it must be like to be surfing a wave. Once you are standing you need to be extremely flexible to keep your balance and to direct the board. I imagine you have your knees bent slightly and your body is ready to move in any direction in an instant. That kind of flexibility is what we need in life to cope with change. Change is all around us, we must be ready for it and be willing to move and be flexible in order to remain standing. Bill Rancic, winner of The Apprentice in 2004, describes this as agility. And he says perseverance is essential too.

But that's not all, oh no... (I think the Cat in the Hat said that, but that's another article completely). When you are on that surf board it is necessary to focus on what lies ahead. Being flexible in the moment is essential, but looking ahead is as important. On the wave you would be making decisions about how to best use the wave, to see where the wave is taking you. Are you heading for rocks? Is the wave going to dump you? Where do you want to ride on the wave, or should you take the decision to get off it and wait for another wave? Dealing with change in our lives is like this too. You have to be flexible in the moment, but also keep an eye on what lies ahead and make decisions that are best for you. It's about being prepared.

I like to try and practice what I preach. It's not always easy, but dealing with change requires that you can be flexible and be prepared. However, I think for now I'll practice standing on the bus without holding on rather than become part of the food chain!