Human beings are complex animals. And when they stand up on a surfboard for the first time, their lives may change dramatically for better or worse.
Love, careers, relationships, family, and friendships are incredibly volatile variables of an even more complex structure that is life.
So, how do you add an intangible passion like surfing to the overall fragile composition?
For the majority, surfing is a hobby.
But today, you can also follow a professional career as a pro surfer, surfing entrepreneur, surf instructor, or surf company executive.
The problem is that surfing doesn't get into our life - it invades and takes over our existence. In many cases, when we realize that, it is already too late.
Perfect Swells vs. Relationships
Surfing has already been the cause of thousands of divorces.
Why? Because sometimes, people have their priorities set differently, and catching waves can lead to severe addiction.
Balancing short- and long-term relationships with a satisfying surfing activity has never been easy.
And then, when you start working full-time, time flies as fast as a breaking wave.
Saturdays and Sundays become the most precious assets in your life, and you turn into a weekend warrior, eager to surf every wave until the last second, even if it means sharing the lineup with one thousand fellow surfers.
Whether you're dating someone who isn't a surfer - and doesn't understand a surfer's needs - or if you're happily married, it's paramount that you put your other half first.
People should always come first. But that doesn't mean you can't have time for yourself in the water.
Time can be shaped, and human beings are adaptable. With a bit of luck, your partner could very well join you for a surf baptism.
In theory, nothing should be more important than your personal life.
Simultaneously, you won't be able to travel and get the latest surf gear without a regular and relatively stable source of income.
Whether you're on a nine-to-six strict schedule or earning a living as a freelancer, remember that money puts food on the table.
This leads us to the indisputable conclusion that work (or school), friends, and love are essential to our life.
In fact, they are the pillars of our happiness.
The Ten Principles
So, how can you blend harmoniously surfing, work responsibilities, and personal or family life? Embrace the following principles:
- Start your days early, seven days a week: An early morning surf is good for your physical and mental health and will save you a lot of time;
- Plan your weekends with your partner: Find a way to combine quality time with your loved ones and still arrange a couple of hours to go surfing;
- Avoid procrastination: Get your professional duties done on time;
- Never put surfing before family and friends: Sooner or later, it backfires on you;
- Don't use your phone during meals: Talk to your family, ask how their day was, and suggest interesting things to do;
- Share your surf sessions with the ones you love: They'll understand better why surfing is an important part of who you are;
- Be a professional at work: Do what you've got to do, and keep the surf talk for coffee breaks and off-duty meetings;
- Embrace the surf lifestyle, but don't be a slave to it: Diversify your interests and show your partner and work colleagues that you're more than just a saltwater head;
- Learn to say no to perfect swells: If you have to decide between surfing dream waves and spending time with someone who needs you, choose those who love you;
- Ignore the surf bums and the surf-obsessed friends: They don't know what a balanced life is - waves will always be coming for you, people may not;
If used conscientiously, surfing can introduce improvements in your life and business.
But in the end, always have in mind the successful formula: "Happy spouse, happy house."