Don't overthink. That was one of the best pieces of advice I'd ever received. It was also the hardest to follow, especially since I tended to worry before, during, and after almost everything I did. These words came from an unexpected source, my wakeboard coach, and ended up being extremely valuable both in and out of the water.                                                                             

     For as long as I can remember, I've spent part of each summer in Michigan at Paw Paw Lake where I developed a deep love for water sports, wakeboarding in particular. Growing up in Chicago, I couldn't wait for the chance to escape the city and ride the waves for hours at a time. I loved wakeboarding but was often scared to try new tricks and techniques; my fear made it difficult to concentrate on the lessons being taught. While other kids were doing flips and crazy spins, I'd play it safe and stick to the moves I'd already mastered. On the rare occasion that I'd take a risk and try something new, I'd end up falling on my head or hurting myself because I hadn't followed the instructions properly.

     One day, I was particularly frustrated, in addition to pain after my latest unsuccessful attempt at a tricky grab. My coach, who was now also my boss at the surf shop where I worked had a specific line he used frequently. Every day before hitting the water, he would say those two crucial words, "Don't overthink." He wanted me to act first and save the analysis for later. I wasn't convinced, but my pride had already taken a hit. I figured I had nothing left to lose. I went back out on the water and concentrated on coming in harder than ever. When I hit a wave and jumped completely over it for the first time that day, it felt awesome.

     He was right. By having faith in the skills I had already acquired, rather than focusing on the difficulty of the trick, it was pretty easy to complete the move. As the weeks went by, the more I understood my coach's strategy. In his "real" job as a high school AP Physics teacher, he taught his students to attack complex problems by breaking them down and solving them step by step. He wanted me to take the same approach with wakeboarding.

     For the next few weeks, whenever I started to worry, I'd think about his words. As a result, by the end of the summer, I was performing better (and thinking less) than ever before. However, once school started, my old mindset returned. My pattern was to work hard in class and on my homework, worrying harder. During tests, I'd struggle to focus even though I knew the material. But that fall, I reminded myself of my breakthrough and realized that I needed to apply the same fix to the classroom. Rather than obsess over whether or not I was going to do well on a quiz, test, or paper, I broke down my work into small, manageable pieces and did my best to master each one. Ultimately, this process increased my confidence, reduced my anxiety, and allowed me to achieve better results.

     Even though I'd never been happy being an over-thinker and a worrier, I assumed it was an aspect of my personality that I couldn't change. It never crossed my mind that what I'd learned on Paw Paw Lake would translate not only to school but other aspects of my life from successfully working out relationship problems with friends and family to handling unexpected situations at work and during extracurricular activities. I feel blessed to have found the sport of wakeboarding in which I can grow both physically and mentally all while enjoying it as much as I do. Don’t worry about all the things in your life, ride the wave, let things happen and you will succeed.