Jonathan Nation

Keep Sailing

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This is a phrase I’ve been using a lot because I am spending time with a bunch of people who are all pushing hard towards their dreams.

I love sailing, especially those moments where you are really flying down the water … powered by the wind. With you harnessing the wind. It’s amazing, especially when you are in a condition just on the edge of your skillset.

I think often of this quotation I call Crossing The Ocean.

It really illustrates how I view the best way to look at and travel through life.
In the end, you have to

 

Sailing Update 2012-10-25

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I keep thinking back to this quotation:

[a big goal is like] crossing an ocean. Some people try [by themselves], day after day,  … That’s like taking a rowboat across the ocean. It’s exhausting and usually unsuccessful.

 Others have given up trying and throw themselves entirely on “relying on God’s grace.” They’re like drifters on a raft. They do nothing but hang on and hope God gets them there.

 Neither trying nor drifting are very effective in [achieving the big goals]. A better image the sailboat, in which if it moves at all, it’s a gift of the wind. We can’t control the wind, but a good sailor discerns where the wind is blowing and adjusts the sails accordingly.

~ John Ortberg

This week I have been working hard on a research project I am undertaking.

I even implemented a new to do list strategy I found. One that is flexible enough to give me options, but focused enough to keep me on high important tasks. Some urgent, most not-urgent.

Today, however, [Read more…]

Two New Sailors – Babies Not Included

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[audio:https://www.jonathannation.com/jon0010two-new-sailors.mp3]
[download MP3 – 6:00]

Today most of my family went out to a lake. It was great weather, but the best thing was the people who had not been sailing before.

The first new people in a boat were my babies. One seemed to do well & went off with one of my sisters. She wanted to stand up in the boat, but took the idea of sitting pretty well. The other went out with me and was upset before we even got into a boat. I’m not sure what it was, but when our two boats got close enough both babies ended up crying. They might not be sailors for life at this point, but at under the age of two there is still time.

Then the highlight for me — two new sailing people. Because of the light wind, and we really wanted stable boats, we decided to use some of the club Optimist’s (or Opti) which has basically two parts & is very hard to overturn. They enjoyed it.

That’s two new sailors for me. I think I’m going to see how many people I can get to sail a boat on their own this year. If you love sailing, I challenge you to do the same.

When introducing people to sailing, I like little boats. Boats that are simple where the individual can focus on two things:
– steering
– main sail

The opti is a good boat for this, and so is the Laser, my favorite boat. The instant feedback of adjusting the rudder, tiller, tiller extender, or mainsheet is great for picking up how sailing works. Then if you want to move to larger boats, you can learn about jibs, blocks, cranks, etc.

How many people do you expect to get sailing a boat on their own this year?

Do you support Sailing & want more people to try it out?

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Sailing – I love sailing.

When I was a child my Grandmother sent me to a sailing camp, where every day we sailed Lasers, and a couple additional boats, and I was hooked. I wish more people would experience the joy and excitement you can by being out on the water, harnessing the power of the wind.

Today, I was poking around kickstarter & starting reading through sailing related projects. I came to this one where a guy has been recording his trips on the open sea. Now he wants to edit them together & share it with others. He has a couple days left & lacks about $500 from his goal.

I know many people who want there to be more people to try out sailing & want more content focused on sailing.

Please do two things:

1. Consider supporting this project – this can be pledging money, or telling others about it that might be interested. At least go watch the videos on the project pages [ main & updates ]

2. let me know if you would like a site that collects both media around sailing & projects like this.

I’ve had a domain name for a while & would be willing to put in a little work if others would like to know about sailing focused audio, video and text. Leave me a comment if you are interested.

Too Much, Too Fast

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“Too much, too fast” is a phrase that we say on a regular basis around our house. It’s a simple phrase so it does not apply to every situation, but because of the personalities of my wife and myself it is a great reminder for us.

This morning I felt lead to post this simple statement I was thinking about on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter:

If you are under stress, heartache, or successive failure – it’s probably due to trying to do too much, too fast.

Later in the day I was listening to a great show, where the host was enthusiastically telling of a new group he is starting, with a monthly membership fee of $97 per month, if you join in a short period of time. This group would help me & might be a good model for something I might do in the future too, for a different audience.

I stressed over it, I would need to join before the February 1st, but could not get past the one year commitment & $97 price tag.

Then someone liked my statement on Facebook. I went and looked at it again and the stress went away.

In the future the price will probably be more than $97 per month and I am ok with that for a few more things will be in place:

  • my wife will no longer be pregnant
  • my businesses will have more success
  • I will have more free time, or margin in my life

At this point the phrase Too Much, Too Fast is helping me to not row my boat, but sail as I should. I want to cross the ocean, but have this natural tendency to do it all under my own power which is impossible for me.

For other people, those who naturally will just drift, this phrase is dangerous. If you are comfortable with where you are, with no vision you are fighting for, or if you do not naturally find projects to do … don’t take this on. Instead ask the question “what can I do?”

That has never been me, or my wife. We gain a vision & fight to make it so.

There should be three questions in your mind now:

You made it this far …

I am always looking to me more leaders, linchpins, and problem solvers. We need more people to take on a business owner mindset, to seek out pains and problems then find ways to provide value to others.

Let's connect.

~Jonathan Nation

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