Paddling Through the Fog

Over the easter break my family went on a trip to the newly opened Lake Kepwari camping and boating facility, just 14km outside of Collie in the south west of WA.

One of the many beautiful things about this facility is that it was previously an open cut coal mine which has been totally transformed and rehabilitated into a world-class facility.

But this transformation didn’t happen over-night. It took $5million dollars of investment and 5 years to fill before the vision for this disused mine could be realised.

On arrival, we were blessed with unseasonably warm weather that made for perfect kayaking conditions.

Here’s what day 1 looked like just before we got into the water:

The next morning we woke to something completely different.

Overnight the fog had rolled in transforming the inviting lake into a misty, somewhat eerie location.

What had seemed inviting the day before now felt a little scary.

Visibility was down to around 10 m and we knew it was 1,000m’s to the other side of the lake.

But we knew the other side was there, so Ethan and I decided to paddle out into the fog.

When you’re in the fog you lose all concepts of space, distance and time.

Staying focused on paddling in the direction we knew we needed to go to reach the other side was the primary goal.

As leaders, it can feel like you’re crystal clear one day and paddling in the fog the next.

The key challenge becomes how you hold your nerve, set your course and keep paddling when you can’t see the other side.

What if the fog had been in when we’d first arrived?

Would we have boldly paddled out in search of the other side? Would you?

To transform your life, your leadership or your performance you have to take risks.

You have to try things you’ve not tried before and go places you’ve not been before.

You have to be curious enough to explore and willing enough to feel a little lost along the way.

The fear of getting lost is one thing, but the regret of not trying…well that’s entirely different.

Real transformation can be a lonely, slow and scary process if you choose that to be the case.

Alternatively, you can travel with someone who has your back.

You can choose to turn fear into excitement about the new shores you’ll find and the experiences you’ll have along the way. It really is up to you.

When was the last time you paddled into the fog not knowing where or what was on the other side?