Too Dangerous to Practice

I loved watching the women’s Olympic “street skateboarding” competition this week. The sport reminds me a bit of the sports I love doing, like waterskiing and kiteboarding, and I love the vibe of the skateboarding athletes, who seem so authentic, unlike some Olympic athletes (gymnasts, for example) who have been coached their entire lives to be perfect.

Amazingly, the little Florida town where my mom and sister live, Fernandina Beach, is the home of Poe Pinson, a 19-year-old skateboarder who came in fifth this week in street skateboarding (When in Fernandina, we often bike to the small skate park where Poe got her start to watch kids practice).

One of the TV commentators observed that these athletes don't practice their top tricks very much at all, because they are so dangerous that the skateboarders don't want to hurt themselves right before the Olympics.

After her unexpectedly strong performance, Poe said, ““I didn’t even really land my run but I’m always happy if I can walk away, like walk away, you know, because there have been a few times where I have not been able to walk away. It’s risky, it’s very taxing. Learning all these tricks is basically just slamming against the concrete for hours.”

This is an interesting, non-obvious lesson to take away: sometimes you shouldn't practice. You shouldn't over prepare. Sometimes you should just feel that you are ready to go big and you just do it.

Whether you want to meet with someone influential whom you aspire to know or to try something that’s way beyond your comfort zone… the best course of action may be to simply go for it. Preparation is wonderful, but there are some breakthrough moments that you just can’t practice: they are too bold or risky or complicated to practice.

This is not a suggestion to be impulsive or dangerous… it’s simply an acknowledgement that with the biggest opportunities of your life, you may only get one shot to bring them to fruition.

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