I sat down with myself in five years.

I sat down on a bench with myself in 5 years.

I know, I know. . . super corny. I thought the same thing about the exercise prompted by a company executive during a personal development workshop.?While I met the idea with an eye roll, I figured it would be interesting to chat with 31 year old Eliza, so I decided to take a seat.

She greeted me with a smile - great, we are still relatively friendly.?At first I noticed physically, not too much had changed. My hair looked longer (big win) and I looked fit - I must have gotten a bit more serious about my running routine.?We were dressed nearly identical.

We started our conversation by talking about work. I was still at the same company, and had been promoted a few times. I was more invigorated and passionate about digital media and advertising than ever. But one massive thing had changed - I had found my way back to rowing.

I started rowing in 8th grade and didn’t put an oar down for the next 9 years.?I rowed at the Division 1 level, attended national team development camps, won ACC medals and competed at the NCAAs. My life revolved around the sport, and I loved almost every minute of it. But then came graduation, and the sudden unexpected breakup from the singular thing that had defined me for so long.?I was wildly unprepared for the adjustments I faced transitioning from a life as an athlete, to just a young professional. When I was a rower, my goals were right there in front of me - literally written on my bathroom mirror, staring back at me as I brushed my teeth each morning.?I had a coach, teammates, fitness plan, meal schedule, and timeline to help achieve them. I knew what my strengths were, what distinguished me from my cohorts, and what parts of myself I was most proud of.

Then that ended;?stripped away overnight. Suddenly, I was just the new kid, in a new job, in a new city. Nothing set me apart from everyone else. No outlined goals to sprint toward. I was just there.?

Slowly, I acclimated to my new environment, redefined what success would look like, and constructed new goals and new paths to achieve them.?I begrudgingly put the boat back in the boathouse for the last five years.

So when my future-self brought up rowing, I was very surprised. I had come to terms with the fact that I had closed that chapter of my life. I appreciated it for all it had given me, and was finally at peace with its absence.?

But what my future-self shared was that my motivation to return, wasn’t entirely for me.?

I attribute everything I have ever “earned” in my life to rowing, and even further, to my high school rowing coach. As a teenager, I was an average student, was in a few clubs, but didn’t really have my own niche before crew.?My rowing coach believed in my ability FAR before I ever did, and set me up for a successful recruitment process. From there, my college put me in touch with my current employer, and the rest of my career is history.?But it all traces back to rowing creating my most important opportunities.

I wanted to be the person, or even just a percent of the person my high school coach was for me.?I realized my best opportunity to do that, is right back in the sport I knew best.?

I logged off the company workshop with a pretty clear call to action - go find a rowing program and send some emails. Three days later I was on the water interviewing for an assistant coach position.?4 weeks later I was on the water, driving a launch, and yelling through a megaphone at some 14 year olds.

Luckily, I work for a company that recognizes that when its people feel at their best – they will get their best. My management was accommodating around my rowing team’s practice schedule. I spent Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring training with St. Andrew Rowing Club, all in preparation for Youth Nationals in May 2022. ?The team placed 1st in the Southeast, and 9th in the country – the first top 10 finish in club history.

While winning is great, it was just the cherry on top.?Committing to something outside of my career gave me more than I could have imagined. It encouraged me to shed work anxieties after 5pm, and approach them with a fresh perspective the next day.?It motivated me to be more efficient in my work day. It provided a newfound community and home. It made me a better version of myself.

All this to say – go find a bench, and invite future you to join.?They may say some things that will surprise you, and change today you for the better.?