For as long as I can remember, boating and drinking were tied together like peanut butter and jelly.

As soon as I’d get to the cabin, we’d grab a cooler and head for the boat.

Right as we pulled off, you'd hear crack, and it’d be the first beer of the weekend.

Everyone would be cheering and grinning from ear to ear.

We’d rotate between wakeboarding, waterskiing, and, of course, drinking.

After a few hours on the water, we’d head back in.

What a time!

Big Question: Drinking is so wrapped up with the boat experience that they become one and the same. Is it really the combination of both I like? Is it just the drinking? Or is it the boat?

Strategy: F.L.I.P. System

The F.L.I.P. System focuses on testing a belief you have and being open to a possible alternative. We do this in four steps:

1. False Belief: Write down that sneaky belief lurking in the background.
2. Look: Review your belief. Where did this come from?
3. Inverse: State the opposite belief. Is there any truth in this?
4. Prove: Come up with any data that would support the opposite belief. Test it in the real world and revise your belief.

Now let’s put it into practice with our drinking + boat question.

1. False Belief: Boating wouldn’t be the same without drinking (or boating is more fun with drinking).
2. Look: This comes from years of combining drinking and boating—the countless memories, pictures, and stories that have built up.
3. Inverse: Boating would be just as fun without drinking (or dare I say, even more fun?).
4. Prove:
   • I could waterski more—I wouldn't get as tired, and I’d wake up feeling refreshed for a sunrise ski.
   • I’d be less likely to get injured—I'd be more in tune with my body and less likely to do something dumb to impress people.
   • I wouldn’t have to worry about DUIs or cops.
   • I wouldn’t have to stop the boat and pee all the time.
   • I wouldn’t have to lug around a heavy cooler.
   • I’d be more capable of fixing a problem if it arose.

Analysis: If I didn’t drink on the boat, I could actually do more of what I love—ski and wakeboard. Plus, I’d be less likely to leave with a negative experience (e.g., DUI, injury, tweak).

Outcome: It’s actually the boat that’s fun. Drinking just happened to be tied to the activity every time I did it. The next step? Test it in the real world. Try going out on the boat a few times without drinking.

Favorite Photo from the Week:

And just like that, it's cold plunge weather! I'm not sure where the summer went, but I'm excited for some chilly weather. What about you?

Till next week, be kind, be curious, and work hard.

Tanner

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