Last week, I tried something I’ve wanted to do for years.
Part of the reason I hesitated was because of all the people I heard saying how hard it was.
I didn’t want to spend an entire day struggling, just to fail and look like a dumbass.
But last week, I finally got myself to do it…
I paid an instructor
I drove to the other side of Lisbon
And I went surfing
When I arrived to the beach, I was given a surf board, a wet suit, and sent to the beach to meet my instructor.
He was athletic, had a bushy beard, and long hair.
The typical looking “Surf bro.”
And he had the knowledge to back up the look.
For the following 15 minutes, he took us through a process:
On the sand, he showed us the 4-step technique to properly mount the surf board and ride a wave
He got everyone in the group to practice
He corrected our form
Before I knew it, we were all in the water and swimming out to the ocean.
This was it:
The moment of truth.
Thoughts raced through my mind as I went farther out in the water:
“Will I even stand up on the board?”
“Am I going to look like a complete potato?”
“Is a giant prehistoric shark with a lust for blood going to eat me alive?”
But despite my doubts, I kept paddling on my board, found a spot, and waited…
Finally, I spotted a big wave in the distance coming toward me.
I prepped myself by following the process my instructor showed me.
Step 1) I started paddling toward shore…
The wave hit my feet and pushed me forward.
Step 2) I put my hands in the middle of the board and raised my chest…
My board lifted a few feet as it went underneath me.
Step 3) I raised my left foot to my right knee…
My balance wobbled, almost knocking me over.
Step 4) I raised my right leg and planted it on the front side of the board…
And then, something unexpected happened.
I was surfing.
Real picture of me surfing
The thing I thought would be so difficult, wasn’t as hard as I thought.
Sure, I wiped out many times after….
But I didn’t even think I’d be able to stand up on the board once.
And after reflecting I was reminded of my journey with business:
I wasted a ton of time mentally masturbating with:
“One more book”
“One more podcast”
“One more YouTube video”
And because I was stuck trying to learn everything myself…
I got overwhelmed and never took action on building my online business for a whole 9 months.
It wasn’t until I admitted to myself what I was doing wasn’t working and hired my first mentor.
They told me when I was overcomplicating things and believed in me more than I believed in myself.
They laid out the steps, removed the guess work, and gave me feedback.
Just knowing I had someone in my corner gave me the confidence to follow through.
It’s when we try doing something alone that self-doubt and overcomplicating can creep in.
Now, I’m not sure where you’re at in your journey…
But whether it’s learning a skill or learning to surf, I highly recommend you learn from someone who’s walked the path you’re on.
I know it’s not life-changing advice, but it’s a good reminder.
Your Canadian friend,
Dakota “Surf Bro” Robertson
P.S.
I’ll be releasing my first paid community soon where I’ll be laying out everything I know on building and monetizing a personal brand.
I’m excited to share more with y’all soon.
If you want to join the waitlist, click here.
Links of The Week:
• Video on how to get clients on social media without a big following [link]
• Great video that simplifies storytelling [link]
• Stupid Star Wars parody that had me laughing [link]
