I remember reading ‘Total Immersion’ by Terry Laughlin some years ago.

Good over short distances, personally I had trouble maintaining swim pace anything over a couple of pool lengths.

I was looking for swim inspiration and feel that I probably got something else. My swim result, although improved, is still weak but I was fascinated by Laughlin’s philosophy.

He had phrases such as ‘worry less about the power of your engine and more about the sleekness of your fuselage’.

And,…. ‘aim to glide through the water, concentrating on balance, fluidity and relaxation, delaying exhaustion by using just the muscles you need, and only when you need them’.

But it was his reference to Kaizen that caught my attention. The secret, Laughlin reckoned, was the Kaizen principles at the heart of Japanese manufacturing: continuous incremental improvement ‘through cleverness, patience and diligence’.

And then the achievement of ‘unconscious competence’.

That is a state I’d like to achieve in my approach to trades.

Terry Laughlin, a swimming coach, author, died on October 20th, aged 66.