02/03/2025
Sunday Story Time: The Art of the Pivot
ASSESS, ADAPT, ADJUST.
Picture this: it’s 2019, a time when “COVID” was still just a catchy name for a bad cocktail, and “pandemic” was something you only saw in movies. I was all set to compete in the Bahamas Worlds—my bags were packed, my travel itinerary was tighter than my workout shorts, and I was feeling invincible. Let's do this Jake!
Then, BOOM! Crisis hit. I landed, and my meticulously crafted plan crumbled faster than a sandcastle at high tide. The transport? Non-existent. Food options? Scarcer than a unicorn sighting. And my accommodation? Let’s just say “lacking” was being generous. It was a full-blown SH*T SHOW.
ASSESS, ADAPT, ADJUST.
My brain snaps into its default setting - find a solution, I spotted and on social media with a suite with a fridge, kitchen and everything I needed. I called immediately, got the last one and moved on with my plan.
But I didn’t stop there. I turned my suite into a communal kitchen for six other athletes and friends who were in the same boat. The other rooms had zero kitchen facilities, so now I had a full commune of athletes rolling through my doors.
I crafted a new plan. Instead of spiraling into stress over the perfect plan gone being F*CKD, I focused on finding solutions to my immediate problems. I didn't waste time about what could have been, or it no longer being "perfect".
Here’s the lesson here: the moments you spend over-analyzing whether to start a diet, obsessing over a food mishap, or overthinking about missing a workout are moments you’ll never get back. Lost time.
The more you sit in “paralysis by analysis,” the more precious time slips through your fingers. And that’s time I’d rather spend appreciating the choices I have.
So, here’s the deal: the quicker you jump back on the horse after a fall—or stop stressing over the menu and just ASSESS, ADAPT, ADJUST—the more time you’ll create for the things that truly matter.
