NFL Problem Solving, Underwater Dumbbells, and Finding the Right Tool

Seeing the NFL players walking on the pool deck came with an epiphany. “These guys are screwed,” I thought. 

The epiphany came when I realized that the most effective way to solve many of the physical challenges of football is with more directed violence, intensity, and effort. But, funnily enough, they soon will need a new strategy under water. 

The most relaxing place in the pool is at the bottom. 

I used to spend a couple days per week during the summers doing underwater training in Malibu. There were sometimes light dumbbells in your hands, sometimes heavy dumbbells, and as you can imagine, not a whole lot of breathing. 

I don’t know why I’m comfortable in the water, but I am. I spent time at the beach as a kid and in pools, but not an extreme amount. In any case, the thing I recognize is that people who aren’t comfortable in the water create a self-fulfilling prophecy because their panic and energy exertion makes their fears immediately true whereas a sense of calm would counter intuitively make their experience much easier. 

Seeing these NFL guys metaphorically using a hammer when a violin was a better tool for the job made me wonder where in my life I was using old habits, tools, and skills in the wrong places. Frankly, I’ve been under an incredible amount of stress for years now and I get flashes of awareness that I’m probably bringing a flamethrower to a knife fight. 

Maybe you’re like me and your favorite tools to solve problems are limited. Maybe you can see more, make clearer choices, and navigate uncertainty better with a lighter grip on things, eh?