Strategic Doing

Chapter 8START SLOWLY TO GO FAST – BUT START (SKILL 7)

Imagine, for a moment, that you are standing on a beach gazing out at a distant island. Your kayak sits next to you. You are planning a day trip to the island and back, and you're getting a bit of a late start; you have to make sure you'll be back by sundown.

You face a choice. You could sit on the beach and try to plan your trip in detail to make sure it will be successful. To do that, you'd have to take measurements of the strength of the wind and its direction. You would calculate the size and direction of the waves. You would have to check the weather to see if the winds are likely to pick up or calm down. You need to estimate the timing of the tides and the strength of the pull of the moon. You would also have to remind yourself to estimate the impact of currents on your course. With all this information, you would then need to make some calculations to plot your course.

Alternatively, you could check the weather forecast, quickly assess the conditions ahead of you, get in the water, and start paddling.

The smart choice is to pick up that paddle. The only way to understand the true impact of the wind and the waves on our kayak is to experience it. We can then make calculations on the fly and adjust. Using the same approach, we can see how the other invisible factors influence the direction of our kayak. We don't really need to know whether it's the tides or the current that are causing our boat to drift. We simply see ...