Guess who's investing in themselves this year? - Sammi Jaeger

Have you started any new hobbies lately? Or have you had an inkling of something you’d like to learn “one day”? It can be so tricky to master new skills as an adult.

I’ve just finished my 5th surfing lesson in as many weeks and although I can get up and surf for at least a few seconds on a good wave…on a beginners foam board, I am a long way off of amateur surf mastery. But I am having so much fun and can see myself getting a little better each week.

To be a really great surfer there are some skills I am going to need to master - balance, a good paddling technique, understanding the ocean, flexibility to get my legs up and underneath me as quickly as possible, strength and a tonne of both mental and physical endurance. 

As much as I’d like to wake up one day and be an awesome surfer without “putting in the work”, I know I need to invest some time, money and energy to develop the skills required so that I can confidently surf Bondi Beach solo picking up the waves I choose.

I could have decided to go out into the ocean solo and just try and figure it out on my own, maybe paired with youtube university, but I have no doubt that investing in a coach who has already mastered the skills I’m trying to acquire has made my surfing experience more fun and is getting me to my goal faster.

A great relationship that is smooth surfing, is the same. It requires the development of relationship skills. Unfortunately no one falls into a totally meaningful and fulfilling romantic relationship by accident.

To create and maintain a thriving relationship you need to build the necessary skills. Things like communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, organisation and leadership. But the great thing about all of these skills is they have no limit. You can forever get better at them and when you show up each week, just like me on a chilly morning before sunrise, you can improve each and every one of them and in turn have an even better relationship.

When was the last time you invested in the development of your relationship skills?

Sammi Jaeger

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