12th March 2007 Johan de Goede
Work has never been a top priority in my life. My passion has always been to go to the beach and hang out with mates. My days consisted of getting up early, waking up all my friends, driving to the beach and riding as many barrels and busting as many airs as I could. Everything evolved around bodyboarding. I was living bodyboarding, thinking bodyboarding, eating bodyboarding and dreaming bodyboarding. I couldn't think of anything that would even come close to the experience of taking off on a crispy early morning 6ft wedge at caves. Nothing! Who I am today is hugely determined by those years.
After school and spending a year in London, I had to come up with a way that would allow me to be semi-independent, keep the parentals happy and off course allow me as much time in the ocean as possible. Work wasn't an option; because that takes up too much time ... maybe a job as a barman or something, but anything that resembled 8 to 5 made me panic! So, I went to Uni and stayed there for as long as I could. Spending more time at the beach than in the lecture halls was standard practice for me. Being at the ocean was still priority no. 1.
However, a time came when avoiding work became absolutely impossible. Reluctantly, I joined the world of work. Well, I was bummed, but at least I'll be making money and at least weekends were still there. After receiving my first paycheque, I was quite stoked! Money in the bank, petrol in the car and weekends to spend at the ocean ... It didn't take long before I started having doubts about working. Getting to the beach on Saturdays, crowds and the younger guys inevitably telling you that the waves have been super good during the week. Dammit! I was over work! Besides, I am used to the thrill of riding barrels, busting airs and even competing. I was used to the rush and the adrenaline, but work ... work was just plain boring, monotonous and seemed useless. Especially starting at the bottom, after being at the top in bodyboarding!
I changed jobs, changed companies and even started my own company, but nothing satisfied me. Knowing that there was something better out there, knowing that all the people at work were missing out on the thrill of riding waves and probably also knowing that there is not much of a chance of turning back, made me feel extremely frustrated. I struggled with these thoughts for quite a while and I really wanted to figure out a way of being able to maintain the thrill, but also still being able to make a living! Life after so many years of competing and riding waves just was not what I expected!
Looking back, there are a couple of things that I personally would have liked to know before I started working. It always bugged me a little that I should maybe have stayed overseas a little longer, just travelling doing odd jobs and surfing the waves that the world has to offer. Maybe I should even have studied a different course, maybe even followed a different career. Well, no use to be too bummed about it. One thing that bodyboarding has really taught me was to try out new things, push the limits and put myself in situations where I may feel a little uncomfortable at first. That is the great thing about bodyboarding, it allows you to really live outside your box and experience many things that others don't. For this reason, I am again putting myself out there. I have started a new website that is growing bigger every day. It really focuses on helping young people make informed decisions early on in life. My approach and the advice that I offer is quite open-minded and really designed to help you think about what it is that you would like to do.
So, if you want to travel, take photos, make DVD's, work overseas or even study or start a career, or even if you have some questions relating to how you can effectively balance bodyboarding and life or what to expect when you enter the working world, make sure that you visit us today! We also plan to get involved in some events around South Africa!
All the best and remember that life is too short to listen too much to what other people have to say, if you believe in something, if you have a passion for something and if you have a goal, then follow your dreams and never look back!
Visit us on www.earlycareer.com.
E-mail: [email protected]
5,249 views
 | Gareth White 26th March 2009 14:23 |
| Ah...now i get it. | |
| Gareth White 26th March 2009 12:10 |
| Huh? | |
 | Len Bradford 26th March 2009 09:04 |
| maybe if Gareth marries a rich wife he can surf the entire day. live offers you more than work or just surfing.raising kids are just as amaizing experience if you are involved, expand your interest, work in the garden, love your wife, go to church, play with your kids, greet your neigbour, enjoy your meals, play with your dog, eat an icecream, ride your bike, look at the sunsets and be yourself. love to love live. | |
 | Jonathan Oliff 24th March 2009 16:39 |
| Nice work Tjoekie! Enjoyed the article, for a second I thought I was reading about my life... I hope the site continues its success, cause the idea is a gem and I'd recommend the article and site to any groms that are starting to think about their futures. | |
 | Pierre Marqua 13th March 2007 16:33 |
| finding a balance is the hardest thing ever. If you think everything changes when you start a 9-5, think again, it actually changes when you get married and have kids. Enjoy it while you can kids. It the last piece of true freedom left on this planet. | |
| Vaughan Deacon 12th March 2007 20:34 |
| Very wise words indeed. I know the younger set feel invincible, and ready to take on the world, and this is where I add my 2 cents worth... Take advice from people who have been there, put it all together, process it, then do your own thing. Only you can make the right decision for yourself. You can do anything you want, you can live your dreams, but learn from the mistakes of others (as well as yourself) ...and keep bodyboarding. It is a great way to relieve the stress of the daily grind. (I know, because I quit for 16 years, and only now that I'm back in the water, do I realise what I missed) | |
| Gareth White 12th March 2007 09:44 |
| Schweet writeup Tjokkie... Long gone are the days where i bunked school/Uni to ride waves. Long gone are the days when hagging at the beach with buds out-weighed everything else-Life took over! Many Boogers move on after Uni-leaving behind the sport they loved so much during adolescence, for hope of financial independance, job security and the hope of forging a solid life for themselves. The majority of these guys don't ride anymore. Externally they appear to be happy, living life in the fast lane, riding the crest of the economic wave. Internally they aren't happy and turn to other rather unhealthy activities to fill the void in their lives. I myself went down the same road and found nothing but discontent. I struggled to find the right career for me, my mind constantly poisened by what others thought i should do. For years i delayed, but inevitably i had to make a choice-allbeit not the right one. It has taken many years for me to get to the point where i can honestly say that life isn't about material wealth-it's about internal happiness. I do what i need to do in order to pay the bills, but come the end of the day i head straight from work to the beach and leave all my work related stress where it belongs-at work! I have it easy, no major worries, no kids, no morgage, no accounts to settle, no wife on my case... For the majority of us it is not that simple...life has taken over, leaving very little time to indulge in recreation. I personally need balance in order to carry on facing the daily grind of life...without that balance my life becomes unmanagable. All i can say to those going through what myself and Tjokkie did is...check out the website, take advice with a pinch of salt and make the choice that feels best for you-the right choice often just feels right. Happy sponging... Peace... | |