Sometimes you just have to get in the water and swim

“Sometimes you just have to get in the water and swim.” This is the advice I gave my son at his swim meet when he was asked at the last minute to fill in for a teammate who could not compete. The only problem was that he knew he was not going to do very well in the event. In true mom-reflex, I told him that sometimes the thing you need to do is just get in the pool and swim. As the words came out of my mouth, I stopped and thought about what a great life skill he was developing in that moment. He knew he wasn't going to win (but all of those eyes watching from the stands did not - how incredibly vulnerable he must have felt in that moment) but he still jumped in because he was needed.

Think about your career. How many times have you been asked to pick up where someone else left off or fill in for a gap on the team. Did you feel frustrated, anxious, hesitant, angry? All of these are natural emotions in the swimming pool… and at work. The important thing is to know that the growth happens when you do things unexpected. The next time you are given one of these “opportunities,” just jump in.