Career Lessons you can Learn from Competitive Swimming
If you want to have a great career, then you need the right set of skills. Competitive swimming is something that can help you get more out of your career and give you those key skills that set you apart. Here are lessons that it will give you:
Get a Plan
Without a plan, you simply drift around. You need a plan to get great at swimming, or you won’t reach the finish line. The same is true in careers of every kind.
Visualize Success
All olympic swimmers visualize their success. When you visualize something, it sends signals to yourself that you expect this result to happen. Thus, you start finding ways to make it come true.
Take Massive Action
No one got anywhere without massive action. You can dream of swimming all day, but nothing happens until you jump in the pool. In your business career, you will need to take action if you want to get better.
Seek the Best Coaches
Who you train with has a big impact on your success. Some coaches are not the right style for you. Find the best coach that teaches in a way you connect with, just like you would find a mentor in your occupation.
Learn from Your Peers
Your fellow swimmers can teach you a lot that you didn’t realize before. You can do this in your career too. Sometimes, people from entirely different departments can lend you their expertise.
Be Self Aware
Self awareness is crucial in swimming. Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are will guide your strategy. Try to understand yourself on a deep level.
Persist and Never Give Up
Persistence is key in swimming and business. No matter what, never give up. Most people stop just short of their goal.
Enjoy the Process
Enjoy what you are doing. The process is just as fun as the outcome. If you treat it as a journey, then the rest will take care of itself. So don’t be too hard on yourself.
In your career, whatever industry you are in, you will have difficulties that come up. The key is to have the right tools to overcome them. Competitive swimming is more than a sport. It is a life teacher that will help you in your career and beyond.
Airline Travel Tips
When was the last time you’ve traveled by plane? Want to make your next journey by air more comfortable? Follow the below seven tips for smoother air travel!
The seats by the window are colder
The temperature outside of the cabin can fall to -150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can feel this external cold by the windows. If you enjoy gazing out the window, it’s best to dress warm. If you are not prepared with layers of clothing, simply ask the crew for a blanket.
Avoid drinking coffee or tea
Keep in mind that the water on board used to make this can contain certain bacteria. Instead of drinking tea or coffee, ask for bottled water or fruit juice to be on the safe side. EPA sample of 158 planes, thirteen percent contained coliform. Two of the airplanes were found to have dangerous E.coli in the water. Stay on the safe side and avoid drinking coffee or tea on your flight.
Tables and Seat pockets are dirty
The pockets on the seat backs in front of you are often filled with trash. When it comes to the tray table, it’s even worse. Some people use these tables to change their baby’s diapers. Never place your food directly on this table and wipe down the tray table before using it.
Morning is the best time for a flight
There is a much smaller chance for this flight to be delayed. Delays tend to occur during the day as more and more flights get jammed up. Moreover, if you have a fear of flying, specialists claim that a degree of turbulence is reduced in the morning, so shoot for a morning flight!
The Service is better in the final rows
If you sit in the first couple of rows, you do get to leave first and get first choice of your meal. However, in the back of the cabin, you will get more attentive service from the crew because they are closer to you. It’s easier for them to bring you refills and more. If you think you will be wanting more attentive service, choose a seat in the back.
Always go with the special menu
Airlines offer a choice of different meals in flight such as vegetarian, seafood and kosher. Even if you have no particular preference, many travelers recommend going with the special menu choices. They are often more varied and tastier than the standard meals.
With these air travel tips, you will be ready for anything on your next flight.
Swimming Rules that will Save your Life
Let’s imagine, you look through the holiday photos of your friend who has just returned from a sea vacation. Do you feel envy or fear? Many people are fearful of swimming, but it does not have to be that way. If you don’t have much confidence in your swimming skills, these tips will help you feel like a fish in the water.
Overcome Fear
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles people have to overcome while learning to swim. You might be surprised to know that 60% of Americans are afraid of deep water. To deal with it, there is a simple technique. Breathe in sufficient air, take poses under water and feel how the water brings you to the surface. Start with a shallow area and then slowly move on to deeper areas of the pool.
Learn to Breathe
Breathe in through your mouth when above the water, and out through your nose or mouth when under the water. Try to develop a rhythm. Another exercise to practice is holding your breath. You never know when it will come in handy.
Make Friends with the Water
Imagine that the water is your friend. Lie back on the water’s surface, spread out your arms to the side and relax. Feel how the water supports your weight and slowly moves you. Or you can try lying on your stomach with goggles on and looking down. This will help you to feel more comfortable in the water.
Learn to use your legs
If you have managed all of the above activities, let’s get down to swimming itself. You can practice different exercises in the water in order to use your legs. Try practicing breaststroke. This stroke requires a ton of leg strength. Don’t be embarrassed if you feel like you look silly. You will be grateful when you are able to confidently and rhythmically use your legs.
Tread Water
Tread water vertically. To do this, move your legs the way you did with breast stroke. Spread your arms out to the side and make circular motions with them. Or, you can tuck your legs in and pretend you are riding a bike.
It is never too late to overcome your fear of the water. You must first learn how to properly breathe under water, make friends with the water, learn to use your legs and practice by treading water. Once you achieve these, you will feel confident to swim freely in any depth of water.
Retired Navy Admiral Mark Heinrich is a dynamic leader in the global supply chain industry who is devoted to a number of exciting hobbies. As a longtime member of the Navy, he is a dedicated athlete and still remains very focused on health and fitness after more than three decades in the service.
Admiral Mark Heinrich has a long history as a swimmer, spanning about 35 years. He swam in high school and in college, and for all four years of his college career he placed in the top 25 backstroke swimmers in the country. He was also the captain of his swimming team in 1979. Since then he has competed as a master swimmer and has been a member of multiple fantastic teams around the country. Mark blogs about competitive swimming on his website, AdmiralMarkHeinrich.com and MarkHeinrich.com. He believes that the lessons he has learned from competitive swimming have guided him in his career and he is forever grateful for that.
Admiral Mark Heinrich is an active member of many nonprofits and charities and is also a former member of nonprofit organization U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) in the Gold Coast of Florida. He holds a pool relay record and has achieved All American Honors in long distance and pool swims. One of Mark’s favorite experiences is when he swam the Maui Channel.
Nowadays, although everyone in his age group tends to swim for fitness alone, Mark Heinrich continues to have the competitive spirit that inspired him to join the Navy and made him stand out from the start. Mark begins every day the same way. He swims every morning with the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team, and what truly motivates Mark to swim is the sense of camaraderie. He enjoys working with teams, spending time with like-minded athletes, and learning improvement techniques from others.
“Drive and discipline are the most important part of becoming a master swimmer,” Admiral Mark Heinrich explains. The sport requires the motivation to prioritize and, plain and simple, get started early in the morning. Mark enjoys seeing the sun rise every day as he swims laps. To him, there is no better start to a day.
In addition to swimming, Admiral Mark Heinrich is passionate about numerous other nonprofits which help people succeed and pursue their careers. He is a volunteer for Mission: Readiness, a national security nonprofit which encourages physical activity, reduces violent crime, and improves the quality of education (and thus graduation rates) for young people. He is also a former member of the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, an agency which administers the AbilityOne employment program.
Admiral Mark Heinrich prides himself on being able to give back to the community which has already given him so much. The only way anyone can truly make a difference is by standing beside someone else, for it is only together that long lasting and meaningful change can be instituted in our perpetually changing world. Mark believes this change is rooted in education, for is education that will allow individuals to better their own lives, to depend on themselves instead of others, and to ultimately take charge of their own destiny. It was this understanding and the ensuing discipline that came as a result that has helped elevate Mark to where he is today.
Admiral Mark Heinrich proudly serves an advisor for multiple supply organizations, including The Louisiana International Gulf Transfer Terminal. He has given keynote speeches and presentations as a member of organizations like the Navy League of the United States. With over three decades of expertise as a supply corps officer, he provides the insight and the logistical background that organizations need to thrive.
Mark also uses his logistical background to support financial programs for current and former Navy members through the Navy Federal Credit Union. He is passionate about making lifetime financial services accessible to all Navy veterans.