Fit for Life: Anchor or Sail?

Fit for Life: Anchor or Sail?

As I was driving over the Sakonnet River bridge last Wednesday, I glanced into the bay and saw several boats cruising the waters and enjoying the great outdoors. 

I started getting analytical. Looking at some of the giant sails propelling the boats through the whitecaps, I thought, what an excellent way to cover ground and how peaceful and serene it is to be on a nice sailboat. 

I thought about how endless the destination possibilities can be when the wind blows appropriately, but I also noticed a few boats with their sails down, anchored to their moorings, and going nowhere. 

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That's where the human comparisons set in and got me thinking deeper. 

People can also be classified as sails or anchors, and we are surrounded by many categories throughout our lifetimes. 

First, let's look at a sail's intended purpose. 

Obviously, the purpose is to catch the wind and propel the boat. Although I need to be better versed in the world of sailing, I know that there is more of a strategy than just raising the sail and recklessly driving a boat into the open ocean. 

I'm sure wind direction is crucial in how you adjust the sails.

I know the tension on each sail changes how fast you can go.

I also know that the size of the sail plays a significant factor in the speed and control of the boat. 

So, with all that being said, a sail can be adjusted, manipulated, and changed in various ways to achieve the maximum output, and as humans, we can, too. 

Just like a sail, when the wind isn't blowing in our favor, we must adjust to the wind. 

We can also find ways to release tension when the sail is too tight and we see ourselves moving too fast in the wrong direction. When adequately dialed in, a sail can effortlessly propel a boat through water at high rates of speed.

The same applies to us. 

When dialed in with our fitness and nutrition, we become unstoppable. 

When things aren't working in our favor, we can make changes and adjustments to steer the ship in the right direction. When we are under a lot of tension, we can loosen the ropes and change directions before we get completely lost or overwhelmed.

On the other hand, an anchor does none of the above. Its intended purpose is to weigh something down and prevent it from moving in any direction by attaching itself to the bottom and staying stuck in one place. 

When a boat is anchored, it can't face the waves head-on, move, or make adjustments. It becomes a target when a storm arises, susceptible to getting slammed on the rocks, a victim of circumstance.

We can also make some analogies about how some people become anchors in their lives. 

You may know someone, or you may be an anchor if you: 

* Refuse to grow or change with the times. Now, don't get me wrong, I have just as much of an old-school mentality as anyone else, and I liked how things were in most cases, as opposed to how they are now, but I embrace change. 

Sometimes, I wouldn't say I like change, yet I still embrace it. Otherwise, I know the reality is that I will stay stuck at the bottom unless I do. 

Unlike an anchor, a sail will change and conform to the wind and direction; all you need to do as the captain is control the direction you want to go. 

* You keep doing everything the way you always have, even when it no longer works. 

This is why many people and businesses fail. They sit and rely on the same circumstances that have always worked and refuse to adjust like a sail and catch the new wind. 

An example of this is a segment I saw on the news last week about a couple of drive-in-style restaurants that were failing and blaming the weather for their lack of success. First and foremost, a business that relies on the weather or other circumstances out of your control isn't a very good business model, so if you are anchored and relying on uncontrollable circumstances, you will most likely lose. 

So, instead of making adjustments and finding other ways to get people to eat their food, they cried victim. They put themselves in the "anchor" category and will keep themselves stuck until they figure a new way, or fail completely. 

(Covid is a perfect but extreme example. Businesses that didn't pivot and get resourceful failed)

* If you don't prioritize your health, you not only become an anchor but also a liability to yourself and others around you. I can talk about why this is true for days, but I will narrow it down to a few examples for time's sake. 

Most people think that poor health only affects them; however, you become an anchor because you can't possibly show up for others when you are in poor condition. 

Second, if you get sick, you not only can't help others, but you also place a burden on others to take care of you. But it doesn't stop there. 

* You become a product of the medical system with preventable ailments, making it more difficult for others who acquire ailments out of their control to get the proper care and treatment they need. 

Cut the chain. If you are around someone anchoring you from becoming the best version of yourself or holding you back from your dream and legacy by undermining or finding fault with your actions, it's time to cut the chain and release the anchor. These people are everywhere and will hold you stationary if you let them. 

A great quote comes to mind after writing this article, and it goes like this: 

A pessimist complains about the wind - anchor

The optimist expects it to change; that is also the anchor mentality. 

Hopes and dreams don't get results; they feed procrastination.

The realist, or overachiever, adjusts the sails. 

They don't wait for things to be perfect to make good things happen, 

DON'T MANAGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES - MASTER YOUR LIFE

Coach Matt