The swimmer next lane
I was at swimming training the other day when the coach gave me a 200-metre swim. The swimmer in the next lane was given only 100 metres. She looked surprised. In her mind, she was probably wondering why I had been given the longer distance. As we pushed off the wall, she took off fast. For a moment I looked across and thought about matching her pace. Then another thought came into my head: Why am I trying to chase her? I don’t know how she slept last night. I don’t know how tired she is. I don’t know what training she did yesterday. I don’t know her strengths, weaknesses, or what the coach is trying to achieve with her session. All I know is my lane, my distance, and my task. So instead of chasing her, I focused on my own stroke. I found a pace that would allow me to swim the next length, and then the next one after that. Something interesting happened. The more I focused on my own swim, the less interested I became in what she was doing. That lesson applies far beyond the pool....