What is your unfinished business
Hi there,
By now, you should know me well enough to guess that my first 10K swim wasn’t the end of the adventure. (If you missed part one of the story you can read it here What happens when naivety finds determination)
Sure, I swore I’d never do it again—and I meant it at the time. But something about that swim stayed with me, like an itch I couldn’t scratch.
It wasn’t just the distance or the pain—it was the nagging sense that I could do better.
Two years later, I found myself staring down the same challenge.
Why?
“I had unfinished business”
The year before, I’d been recovering from a nasty injury.
If I was going to attempt another 10 km, I had to do it right this time. No shortcuts, no excuses.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could not just survive the distance but thrive in it.
This time, I approached it differently:
I hired a coach. I stopped guessing and started learning from someone who knew exactly what it took to succeed.
I learned about nutrition. Fueling my body became as important as the laps I swam.
I joined a squad. I surrounded myself with people who challenged and supported me.
Every day, I showed up.
Whether it was 6 AM at the pool, the gym, or the ocean, I trained.
I worked through my fear of open water, stared down my doubts, and built the discipline I needed to face this challenge head-on.
The Difference Discipline Makes
This time, the process felt different.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal, I focused on small, consistent steps.
Stroke by stroke, session by session, I prepared.
The fear didn’t disappear, but I learned to work with it instead of against it.
When race day came, I was ready.
But I’ll save the details of that day for next time.
Reader Spotlight: A Thought on Determination
Last week, I shared the story of my first 10K swim and asked, “What would it look like if you removed every excuse and just decided to finish—no matter how hard it gets?”
One of you shared this thought-provoking response:
“I’d probably be dead.
Everest is littered with the corpses of people who were naive and determined. There’s this idea that we can achieve anything. All we need is to want it really badly.
But no matter how badly I want to see the back side of the moon or win a Formula 1 race or even climb Everest, I won’t because my capacities don’t match the demands of the goal by a massive margin.
My personal goal is to make it hard enough that it might just be possible.”
I loved this perspective because it highlights something we don’t often talk about: knowing your limits and setting goals that stretch you without breaking you.
“Determination isn’t blind—it’s intentional.”
It’s about finding the sweet spot where challenge meets capacity and trusting yourself to grow into the goal.
Your Challenge
Unfinished business doesn’t go away—it waits.
The question is, will you rise to meet it?
So let me ask you:
What’s your unfinished business?
Where have you been holding back because the first attempt didn’t go the way you wanted?
What would it look like to approach it this time with preparation, discipline, and the right support?
You don’t have to tackle it all at once.
“The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress.”
Thanks for reading,
Aitana
PS: Are you ready to rise to the challenge? Let me know in the comments.
