Turtles, Mantas & BMW- what scuba diving can teach us about success in business & life.
Turtles, Mantas & BMW- what scuba diving can teach us about success in business & life.
I’ve been a scuba diver for the last 9 years- and luckily, when I met my husband, he is too. We take a diving trip or 2 each year- the perfect chance to relax, reconnect with nature and see awesome things. Pictured is me with a turtle on our recent trip to Komodo national park.
One habit we notice in a minority of divers when we travel is a tendency towards BMW – bitching, moaning and whining. They can’t descend, the gear isn’t good enough, there’s too much current, there’s not enough sharks/ turtles (insert other ‘big drawcard creature’ here), the visibility is poor.
Now- sometimes dives are a little bit miserable. Cold, choppy, etc. But a bad day’s diving is better than a day at work, right?! Here’s some key points that would keep the miserable dives to a minimum!
Be ACCOUNTABLE! As a qualified scuba diver, you’re actually expected to be able to do a basic check of your own gear, be aware of your buddy, know when there’s a problem and only dive to your limits. Yet so often I see people blaming the dive guides and boat for every little thing.
Take ACTION. Don’t know something? Want to be a better buddy? Go and learn it! I certainly don’t think I’m the best diver in the world- but the best courses I’ve done have included my rescue and self- reliant diver courses. They taught me to be more safety aware and to think of others. Without those, with a husband who was a dive instructor in a previous life, I could develop a serious case of learned incompetence. But where’s the fun in that?! As the saying goes- if we’re not growing, we’re dying.
Be APPRECIATIVE. Nature is its own entity. Turtles don’t show up on demand! The more I dive, the more I appreciate the smaller things. My new love is octopuses.
There’s pretty dire consequences in life and in business to not embracing these three traits- ranging from poor culture and morale, to disaster and failure. If we’re accountable and take action, we’re more likely to come up with contingency plans and take steps to mitigate any problems quickly- rather than throwing our hands up in helplessness, blame and excuses. In scuba, a recent loud air leak in my tank underwater had me quickly step into action: making sure I was near my buddy, while closely monitoring my air supply and my depth. If you fail to be accountable and take action in your own life- you can put not only yourself at risk, but other people too.
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