How To Make a Surge

That colleague. Friend. Person you’ve been keeping an eye on. You feel their momentum kick up a notch. They produce steady and solid work. And then. Boom! They break through. Their set of waves came in and in the blink of an eye, they were gone. They caught their ride.

At least that’s how it looked to us. Which leaves us to ask ourselves, “What about my wave?”

In the world of them vs. us, we’re not always the best judges of momentum. We build the narrative that their ride is one good wave after another. Ours? Keep our head above the water.

Yet, the truth is we can put ourselves in a better position to collect energy and make our own surge.

Once every four years, about this time of year, powerful surges naturally show up on my radar screen. The Olympics are calling?—?a big set of waves are about to come in. One of the best I have witnessed was the surge of Chris Ennis.

In 2004, Chris was one whitewater slalom canoeist in a diverse field of competitors that featured a variety of styles and approaches. In previous years, Chris was not the leader of this pack. Even-keeled and a solid performer, he searched to find the right balance of training, work, education, and life position?—?on his terms. Racing was not his “everything.” But it was enough to secure a place among his top priorities. Chris created enough space to allow his paddling pursuits to grow.

Then in the spring of 2004, something changed. His boat started to leap. His style was a little more aggressive. The space around him a bit lighter.

He had let go.

Chris became the surge. He caught the wave that so many wanted, rode it through the Olympic Trials and on to the Olympic Games in Athens.

For the first time in 20 years, I have no specialized role in the Olympic Games. It’s easier than ever for me to take the stand-out stories and performances from my Olympic experience and reset them for your benefit.

Here we go. The qualities I see that make for a great surge:

Start Slow

Don’t confuse a surge with a quick start. A surge requires the confidence to be patient and trust in your lower gears. Lower gears and slow build-ups offer the time and flow to master technique and process as well as build a foundation for the wise use of your higher gears. In other words, surf a lot of little waves instead of simply looking for the BIG one.

Say Yes A Lot

A great surge is often launched on the exposure to something new and different?—?ideas, concepts, and strategies. When these gain traction, you might find yourself asking, “Why didn’t I try this sooner?” One of the strongest types of competitors on the Olympic Trials start line is the experimenter with true belief.

Learn the Rules of the Zone

It’s not about getting there. It’s about getting there at the right time. That top level zone where surges occur has a short duration and a high turn-over of riders. And these riders seem to have inexplicably exquisite timing. But really their timing is a result of slow processes that rely on well thought out choices, repetition of good habits, and of course… practice.

Know How To Rest

When we witness excellence, conventional wisdom analyzes the performance we see. But, a peak expenditure of energy is the yin to rest’s yang. The most elite performers are serious practitioners of rest and peace of mind. They practice these elements as seriously as they practice their craft.

Let Go

I recently asked an Olympian (and major influencer on Chris) what was key to his own breakthrough performance at the Olympic Trials. His answer? “I just let go.” Great surges always have an element of this?—?where you want go is in part a function of what you leave behind.

Of course, I have benefited more than a few times from the power of a good surge. But, I wouldn’t have written this post if I hadn’t missed more than my fair share of waves, too.

Thank you for reading my post?—?I’m Joe.

After winning an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States, I followed an expected corporate path reaching the rank of CEO.

Following a long stint, I walked away from that job knowing there must be a better way.

I now travel the world presenting at conferences, as well as to work with corporations and their leaders, business owners, and influencers about performance, life purpose and serving to full potential.

In other words, I work with Leaders just like You.

You can learn more about me at JoeJacobi.com.

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