When Did You Learn to Swim?

Have You Learned to Swim? It’s a valuable skill, but I realize it’s not for everyone. If you did

learn to swim, when and why did you?

Did you learn while you were in a dangerous, maybe even life-threatening situation? Or is it safe to say you didn’t wait for a crisis to learn? It’s probably obvious that the worst time to learn to swim is when you’re already drowning.

The Bigger Question:

What Skill Could Take You to the Next Level? Let’s broaden the metaphor. What’s a skill in your life or business that, if improved overnight, would almost instantly elevate your performance and help you fulfill your role?

Is It Leadership?

Of course, we need to define leadership first. Many people assume it’s simply a title or position. I’ve heard many say, “I’m not a leader, so I don’t need to improve my leadership skills.”

Leadership goes beyond a title.

Here are three key levels:

• Positional Leadership: You’re in a role with authority and can tell others what to do.

• Permission Leadership: You’ve earned the trust and respect of others. They follow you not because they have to, but because they want to emulate you.

• Production Leadership: You get results. People naturally gravitate toward those who deliver outcomes.

There are two more advanced levels, but we’ll leave those for another time.

So, are you satisfied with your current leadership level—whether positional, permission-based, or production-oriented? If so, you’ve likely reached the peak of your growth—unless you seek mentoring or coaching.

Is Leadership the Only Area?

Maybe leadership isn’t your current challenge. Perhaps it’s personal finances. You might think, “If I just get that next raise, everything will be fine.” Trust me—this mindset is flawed.

While a raise might temporarily solve the problem, if the underlying habits and mindset aren’t addressed, the financial issues will likely return. It’s like bailing water out of a sinking boat without fixing the hole.

So, the question is: Is it better to gain control of your finances now, with a mindset shift, or wait until the problem becomes critical (think bankruptcy)? This, too, is a “learn to swim or drown” situation.

Other Areas Where You Might Need to “Learn to Swim”

• Health: Are you waiting for a crisis to start exercising, eating better, or seeing a doctor?

• Cooking Skills: Maybe you’ve always wanted to cook more at home instead of eating out. Sure, learning to cook costs time and money. But when will the cost of eating out outweigh the investment in home-cooked meals?

• Family Relationships: Strengthening family bonds doesn’t always require spending more money—it can be as simple as spending quality time together.

The Bottom Line:

Goals Are Great, but Plans Are Better. Most people set financial, health, or relationship goals at the beginning of the year. Whether you’ve already blown those goals or not doesn’t matter. What matters is creating a better plan—because a goal without a plan is just a wish.

These “learning to swim” moments are really about leadership choices—starting with leading yourself. The better your leadership decisions, the better your life will be.