Aim Your Ship

BLOG POST #14 – Aim Your Ship

There’s something magnificent and beautiful about a sailboat racing through the water. Gracefully angled to the perfect degree to allow the wind to catch the sail and propel the boat. Strong enough to withstand wind and waves. Quick enough to be an efficient mode of transportation. 

If you’ve ever seen this, you may have wondered how the boat does it. That’s where the beauty lies. And in that beauty is a powerful analogy for our lives. You see, there are two key components to the sailboat that allow it to function and operate the way it should. The keel and the rudder.

The keel is a large narrow structure designed on the bottom of the boat. It sticks deep beneath the water to serve one purpose, stabilize the boat. It keeps the boat from toppiling over and gives it a firm, strong base. The keel can be compared to our lives and the base we build. The support system we have. It’s what keeps us on track and upright.

Then there’s the rudder. The rudder is the steering unit attached to the back of the boat. The direction you push the rudder is the direction the boat is going to go. But the catch is, someone has to control it. James 3:4 says, “or take ships as an example, Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”  This verse is evidence God used this verse as an analogy for how comparable to our life the keel and rudder can be. It shows that the decisions we make and the positions we put ourselves in are directly related to where we steer the direction we want to go.

Hence, Aim your ship. 

Entering the New Year, after many of the topics we’ve covered, this seems fitting because with the new year, comes new opportunities. Now you might be thinking… “that’s great but somethings gotta move the boat. We can aim and point the ship but with no wind we will be stationary” … and you’re exactly right. The wind is life, the environment you’re in, and the external variables that surround you. That is why aiming the ship is so important. To catch the wind and grow and move in a positive direction you have to be positioned in the right place.

So how do we do this?

First, we use the tools we’ve developed to build our base and establish our core, as that is the structure that defines the keel. Create pillars or core values in our life that we want to live by and let that be who we are.That will define your character. Then decide what the next step is for you. Find your passion and purpose and create vision for yourself. Use your new year resolution as a start and create a plan to reach that goal. If your goal was a S.M.A.R.T goal, this should be easy to set up. Once you have that vision for yourself and you’ve created the plan, it’s time to point your ship in the right direction and let life move you. 

Just like a boat on the sea, we can get thrown off course too. For example, if the rudder of a boat is pointed in the wrong direction, the boat may end up on a different island. The same can happen to us if our rudder is aimed off course. It’s important to understand that life happens and it’s ok. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it.’” This is encouragement to show that what we do when we get thrown off course and how we choose to redirect is what matters most to reestablishing our course to get back into position!

The opportunity is now. It’s the beginning of the year and there is so much growth and experience to be had. Use that to your advantage. Establish your keel and direct your rudder; aim your ship towards the goal and go after it!

WORKOUT

Just as we must establish the keel and rudder mentality in life, I believe it can be established in our fitness journey as well. To focus on a strong center structure and to align ourselves with where we want to go, this week’s workout is going to go back to the basics. What better way to start the new year, then with a reset on our workout regime?

Establish the keel and rudder of your workouts and aim your ship towards your fitness goals this year!

Go through each block 3x. Perform 40sec of exercise to 20sec of rest. Take a 30sec break after each block is complete.

Block 1:
1. Air Squats
2. Stationary Lunges (alternating leg)
3. Push-ups

Block 2:
1. Squat Jumps
2. Inchworms
3. Shoulder Taps

Block 3:
1. Squat Hold
2. Side Lunges (alternating leg)
3. Plank Hold

Block 4:
1. Crunches
2. Hip Drops (alternating side)
3. Leg Raises (alternating leg)