Towards the end of May, I attended the Medical Library Association’s annual meeting in Seattle, Washington. The conference’s tagline was Dream, Dare, Do and the John P. McGovern Award lecturer, Julie Angus, successfully did exactly that. She made these three words come alive with her talk, “Rowing Across the Atlantic: Strategies to Reach Your Goals.”
As the opening keynote speaker, Julie shared her amazing experience of rowing from Portugal to Costa Rica with her then boyfriend (now her husband). Each day presented unique situations. They encountered strong winds and huge waves (even a hurricane) as they completed a 10,000 KM journey in five months. Her talk was inspiring as she wove her tale of adventure. She also shared strategies to overcome challenges that often each of us face. She spoke about navigating the ups and downs, taking baby steps, and the importance of teamwork. One of my takeaways was her five tips to avoid “row rage”:
- Maintain perspective (sometimes you just need to breathe)
- Celebrate successes (keep the team motivated)
- Bring enough food (team projects and food always go together!)
- Schedule communication (set aside time – being on the same page is important)
- Don’t look for things you don’t want to see (focus on what matters)
Julie wrote a book about her trip and you can learn more about this adventure, as well as others, by visiting her website, Angus Adventures.
Donna Gibson
Director of Library Services