Guest Editorial Week Of 10/25/2021

By: 
Bryan Golden

Sailing the ship of life aided by planning your journey

Sailing provides a variety of valuable analogies to life. Virtually every aspect of sailing has a lesson to offer. Planning, preparation, and a specific destination precede any journey. The boat must be seaworthy and all of the equipment must be in working order.
Before leaving port you need to ensure all of the necessary equipment, the proper clothes, and enough food and water are on board. You want to feel confident in your ability to sail the boat in all conditions. Appropriate charts and navigation tools are essential.
Anticipating the unexpected, you need foul weather gear, a first aid kit, tools, a radio, life vests, and a life raft equipped with emergency rations. Skimping on the dockside preparation puts you at needless risk.
In life, you don't want to begin a journey without being prepared. As with sailing, you need relevant skills, knowledge, and equipment. Although a mistake in life may not be as instantly catastrophic as a miscalculation at sea, preparation is as important for long term success.
A ship without a rudder lacks the ability to determine direction or destination. Without a rudder you are at the mercy of the wind and currents. If you don't make decisions for yourself, you have no rudder. If you live your life based on the opinions of others, you have no rudder. If you change direction in reaction to criticism, you have no rudder.
Intention and self-determination are your rudder. They enable you to stay on course and make course corrections as needed. With a rudder you can weather storms and overcome adversity.
A destination is your goal and the charts are your plan to reach it. Charts provide you with information to avoid crashing into rocks. Reaching your destination is more than simply sailing a straight line. It often involves many turns and course adjustments to arrive safely. If you encounter bad weather, you must make even more adjustments to keep on track.
To begin a journey without anticipating and preparing for adverse conditions is foolish. Just like the weather, you will encounter surprises and unexpected events. Anticipation and knowledge equip you to survive the worst storms.
Navigation tools are vital. Radar lets you spot hazards that are invisible to the naked eye. Radar functions in darkness, fog, and foul weather. Radar picks up hazards that are too far away to see. In life, education is your radar.
You study those who have gone before you. You study those who are successful. You study those who have failed. You study your competition. You stay abreast of trends and events that have an influence on you. Ideally, you want to become an expert at whatever you do. If you stop learning, it's like turning off your radar.
If you run out of food before you reach your destination, all of your other planning and preparation is for nothing. Because without food, you won't make it. In life, adequate finances are the food for your journey. Many a venture has suffered a premature demise because of inadequate financing. Just as you must know how much food is required, you need an exact understanding of your capital needs. Ideally, you would like to have extra food and money just in case.
Many sailors perish needlessly because they neglected one or more areas vital to the successful completion of their journey. And many sailors survive horrendous journeys because they have been meticulous in their planning and preparations. On the sea and in life, failure is not an option. Regardless of what happens, you must reach your destination.
With the right knowledge, planning, and tools you can reach any destination under any conditions.

NOW AVAILABLE: "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.  2021 Bryan Golden

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