I saw a post on Instagram a while back by Jesse Itzler (serial entrepreneur, co-founder of 29029) regarding a Japanese term called a Misogi. He explained it as doing something that defines your year, like running a marathon, starting a podcast or starting a business for example. My misogi for 2024 was taking part in the 29029 event (see past blogs if this is your first time here for what that is).

My misogi for 2025 is...learning how to swim. Nope - I don't know how to swim, like, at all. I could dog paddle my way to the end of a 25 meter pool, but know zero technique. How can this be? Well, I am a product of being raised in the 70's and 80's where benign neglect was the parenting style. So why now at 53 years of age? The short answer is I want to do a triathlon in 2025 and obviously swimming is a requirement.

The longer answer is I like to test out my physical and mental capabilities and do new and different activities to find that edge of discomfort. There is an obvious physical component to learning to swim - how to tread water, how to float, kick, etc. But the real challenge for me has been finding another way to deliberately push my nervous system and use breathing techniques and meditative practices to regulate myself. This is all due to the fact that I am very uncomfortable in the water due to my lack of skills and abilities.

Because I am starting from zero, I am essentially a giant toddler with no preconceived notions on how this all works. The positive to this is I am also a blank slate with no bad habits to unlearn plus I have no ego attached to this. I know what I don't know.

I was fortunate to become friends with a firefighter who also happens to be a dive instructor (shout out to Andrew Martin) who has taken me under his (water)wing. Here is what I have learned during the initial stages of this journey;

• just being in the water more frequently teaches my nervous system that I can be safe;
• breathwork is the key to all of this;
• the worse you are at swimming, the greater the workout it is;
• eventually my long monkey arms are going to be powerful tools in moving my body;
• telling people you can't swim is a great conversation starter. I have been surprised at the number of people who respond that they can't swim either or that they are not very good at it. A few are incredulous that I don't know how to do it, most are very supportive in their comments;
• there is a subculture at swimming pools where people really want to chat with you - most of the time this is really cool;
• sometimes old men want to keep chatting with you even when they are in the midst of changing or showering and sometimes these naked men are close talkers which can be disconcerting (but makes for good humorous material!);
• more often than not, people who know how to swim want to provide you coaching and feedback and take the time to patiently do so;
• there are logistics to consider - pool hours, bringing goggles, shoes, how busy is it gonna be etc.;
• I really like swimming more than I expected to.

I hope for 2025 you can find your own misogi and try something you have always wanted to do!

Be well,

Scott