Why Grit Isn’t Always Enough
It was 6:20am. I was standing at the edge of the pool, staring at the water, and for the first time in a long time, the motivation was just gone.
Later that same evening, I had the same feeling. I was supposed to head down to my cold basement for strength training, but every part of me wanted to stay put.
Because of my background as a water polo player, discipline is “hammered into my brain.” I did the workouts. I got the laps in. I finished the sets. But without the spark of motivation, it felt heavy. It felt like a chore.
Finding the “Why” (And an AI Tool to Help You Find Yours)
When the fun disappears and the grit feels like a grind, I always go back to one thing: The WHY.
I’m not just swimming to hit a distance. I’m swimming across massive lakes to raise awareness for people living with illnesses. The moment I re-anchored myself to that purpose, the energy returned. It was unbelievable.
To help you find that same clarity, I spent time this week building a specific AI Prompt for ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. It’s designed to coach you through a reflection to find your “True Why”.
You can find the prompt in my latest article
A Lesson in Humility
I have a confession to make: I thought I was a good swimmer. This week, I had a technique session with Felix, a coach at the local swim club. It was a massive eye-opener. Turns out, I’m not exactly a fish in the water—I’m swimming like a robot (and not even a particularly high-tech one).
I’ll be investing a lot more time into my technique moving forward. It’s a good reminder that no matter how much “discipline” you have, there is always room to learn and refine the craft.
Community & Collaborations
Verena Klaps
I had the pleasure of meeting Verena Klaps this week. She’s an incredible keynote speaker and workshop leader. Check her out on Instagram (@verenaklaps). We might be cooking up something together for you all in the future—stay tuned!
The Alpine 7 – Community Swim
We are locked in for August 22nd for our virtual swim! I’ve seen the landing page and it looks amazing. I’ll be sharing the link with you very soon.
Big News: The Book is Live!
My book is officially listed on Amazon!
While you can’t hit the “buy” button quite yet, it’s there. I’m expecting the first printed copies to arrive next week, and I’m hoping to open up sales then. I can’t wait to get this into your hands.
Keep swimming and see you next week,
Bernhard
P.S. I plan to send my letters out every Friday morning 5 am CET. But as this is a human-to-human connection, please bear with me if life (or my kids) decides to “reorganize” my schedule. I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I haven’t figured out how to swim through a family emergency at a good speed yet! 😉
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