Paddle4Play

Paddle4Play: December 2013

Sunday 29 December 2013

Work and Play

Lots of people think their dream job involves earning bucket loads of cash others say it would involve being a chocolate taster or a bubblebath tester.

The real difficulty is making your job work with your hobbies.
As a paddler I went along the usual route of working as an instructor through multi activity then specialising in paddlesport and high performance coaching.
Dont get me wrong I loved what I managed to achieve throughout the time. But as a multi activity instructor the sessions were always short splash and dash the development was limited.

As a coach it was great to be able to work on long term plans seeing the same faces and identifying talent to push through squads this was an amazing time but meant unsociable hours and far too much time spent on a flat lake and in a gym. 

While coaching was my first opportunity to really be able to differentiate between work and play. Work meant flatwater, play meant moving water this motivated me to still get out between sessions in my own boats.

Now having moved back into the shop the work play balance is still extremely close but the motivation to get out drives me through the day. 
To be able to distinguish between work and play is important a dream job out paddling everyday leaves you feeling drained and unmotivated to get out, where as an office job 9-6 each day leaves you longing for the weekends.
 Luckily from when I started instructing I spent much time working in the shop at Woodmill this gave me a platform to grow and move on to I-Canoe and now into The Great Outdoors, the shop means I have to be instore daytoday but I get to touch and talk about paddlesport and kit, days off are then testing days taking out the newest shinyest kit to see how it works,
my advice never trust a shop assistant who doesnt actually paddle its all about first hand knowledge how and where something works its not what the book says that matters. 

Sounds great... But the problem with this falls when play becomes work always thinking how and who something will suit, during the dark months when time on the water is limited this can be a real downfall to enjoying time on the water,
Personally I overcome this by paddling as often as I can a day off without paddling is a wasted day off, whether a short sluice session or a day on the river paddling is important to me. 

As I spoke about before in a blog its important to set aside time to get out yourself and participate in what you love.

Don't let work dictate your leisure time, use your time wisely,
can you do something at lunch?
Can you start late?
or get away early?
plan your days off
Have a back up plan
Be prepared to get out don't spend days hunting kit 

The cold winter months leaves everyone ready to hibinate and hide away infront of the fire, 

set your new years resolutions now to get out more be in once, twice or five times a week set a plan tell your friends and il see you on the river.