Head Upstream!

5 Tips to be more productive with your energy

It’s the Fall season and in the City of Port Moody that means the Coho and Chum salmon have migrated from the ocean to ‘run up’ Noons Creek where they spawn in gravel beds. It is here in their native spawning grounds where the salmon are in peak condition to battle the rapids and face obstacles so that they may have a successful spawn at the end of the run. If you haven’t yet seen it get outside and do so!

Observing these salmon over the last few weeks I have noted that they are powerful creatures with amazing capabilities. I encourage you to step outside and witness their annual migration as it is a true marvel of the natural world. How they even find their native stream is one feat but even more astounding is how they run up river in the harshest of conditions.

This observation comes at a time in my life where I find myself standing at the mouth of the river looking upstream only to see that my energy levels are dwindling to complete a film project I started nearly two years ago. In my head, the project has developed into something bigger than it actually is. As a result I’ve neglected to give it the energy it needs to see it through completion and hit the big screen. Fatigued and burnt out I’ve let the current wash me down river to an ocean where I’m drowning in procrastination and delay.

The water is your friend.  You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.  | Aleksandr Popov

Once again I’ve stepped outside and in just a short amount of time embraced the healing powers of nature. I feel energized, more productive than ever and I’m back on track with the task at hand. It is easily achievable only if I apply some fundamental principles inspired by the salmon run.

If you’re driven with an end goal in sight but know deep down you are stuck, here are five tips to head upstream and deliver the goods.

1. Have a deadline. Set your intention to complete your task with a firm deadline and write it down. Salmon spawn during a specific window of time and distribute their energy around their body to make sure they get the deed done before it’s too late. Enhance your chances of meeting your deadline by sharing the specific date with someone else. Track your progress, even if you are not on track. Having a marked record is a great tool to set timely task completion dates when future goals are set too.

2. Break the task down into small manageable steps so you can track your progress. Noons Creek has a varied landscape that includes rushing waters, smooth flowing segments, calm deep pools, and turbulent shallow riffles. If you watch a salmon head upstream they take one step at a time. They choose their battles carefully, conserve their energy then make their move. Each step is a win, an opportunity to celebrate and reflect, then the cycle repeats itself.

3. Eat the frog first. That means doing the most challenging, daunting task first before pursuing anything else. If you do this everything else following will taste better. In the salmon’s case a big swallow would be actually getting to the mouth of their native creek before venturing any further upstream. This initial journey starting from the open ocean requires them to bulk up on nutrients, expose themselves to predators, and travel long distances to return to their spawning site.

4. Take breaks, your body deserves it. Your energy is precious and easily susceptible to distractions, excuses, and delay. To stay focused and on task take breaks to ensure your body is replenishing what it is expending energetically. You’ll notice salmon approach a step in the creek, pursue it, achieve it, then rest and repeat.

5. Be accountable to someone else other than yourself. A successful spawning reproductive cycle takes two salmon to come together. One to deposit the eggs and a second to fertilize. Yep, that’s how it works and without the other it’s just swimming aimlessly alone. Pair up with a partner, mentor, or Coach to swim beside you. Together you will really go all the way.

Jordan Birch, CPC, ACC BSc.
Life Coach
Jordan is a Certified Professional Coach living and working in greater Vancouver. His passions drive him to empower natural born leaders to eliminate self-limiting behaviors so they can breakthrough insanity—doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. In his private practice ‘Get Out Of Doors Life Coaching’ he fuses transformational Life Coaching and a partnership with nature as a catalyst for the true entrepeneurial spirit to soar.
For deeper roots and greater heights connect with Jordan:
www.getoutofdoors.com

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