The Most Important Skill

The Most Important Skill 

You can be the freestyle paddler, or run the biggest drops, or be the happiest person on the river, but none of that is conducive in life if there is no time management. Time management is the most important skill or trait to possess as a human being because it allows you to be punctual, to make good group decisions and to allow for a stress-free time wether it be on the water, on the way to a meeting or just to meet your friends. 

Being punctual is great to use to impress others both on and off the water through being punctual. Being punctual is a wonderful trait to have in everyday life because it shows people that you can be trusted to be there when needed. Applications of this trait can be demonstrated through always showing up on time to meet your friends, always getting your assigned work in on time, wether school or work, and/or just being reliable to get things done. With punctuality comes respect and with that comes a multitude of other things that only makes life better for everyone.

Making good decision on behalf of a group is one of the biggest things that a great leader needs to do to be productive with his/her group. As a leader, people look up to you in many ways, and one of the ways is knowing what the group is capable of. An example would be an extensive hike into the wilderness, and you have a group that maybe isn't quite up to the standards of the hike. What would you do? A good leader would shorten the hike as best as possible while still gaining the full experience of the excursion. This will allow the group to be back on time and avoid a prolonged adventure where the group may fall apart.

Making these time management decisions on and off the water allows for a fun, stress-free time getting from place to place. With no rush to get to where you are going or being afraid that you are going to miss the shuttle or the train or the plane, you can soak up whats around you wether that be the big city, the mountains or just floating down the river watching the current swirl below you. Getting from place to place with no rush allows you to not only take in the moment, but it allows you to do things you wouldn't have otherwise done like stop somewhere new, or find a new line down a rapid or meet someone new.

All of these wonderful things all stem from the same trait and skill, time management. As a Keener, we are introduced to this skill through watching the instructors plan the day and make decisions on wether or not an activity will fit into our day and how they can teach us on the way down the river instead of rushing to the takeout or just paddling faster to get somewhere. All of these things add up to be a big part of being a strong leader. That is why I think that it is the most important skill to have as a human. It leads to enjoying more moments like these...