The Case for Follow through

Why Showing Up, Even When It's Hard, Can Lead to Unexpected Moments

I’m writing later in the day today, which feels like a small reminder that nourishing ourselves during busy times still matters. Writing matters to me and I want to make space for it.

This morning, I went swimming.

I almost skipped it.

Temptation to Stay Home

Do you ever have days when it feels hard just to leave the house?

Today was one of those days for me.

Swimming is still a new habit, and it would have been easy to talk myself out of going. The internal dialogue was already starting: Maybe tomorrow would be better. Maybe I’m too busy today. Maybe skipping once wouldn’t matter.

But instead of listening to those excuses, I went.

I arrived 30 minutes late and I nearly finished all my laps. That felt like a small victory in itself. I’m proud of that follow-through because sometimes the hardest part of any habit is simply showing up.

An Unexpected Conversation

After the swim, I met a wonderful woman in the pool area.

We chatted about lane sharing and the occasional swimmer who makes it difficult for everyone else. Apparently, I had been sharing a lane with one such swimmer who managed to “scare” most others away.

It didn’t bother me. We shared the lane just fine.

From these, our conversation shifted to the weather: snow in Calgary at any time of year and early snow in Ottawa.

Then we started talking about her work.

A Surprising Connection

She told me about her professional training and mentioned that she part of her role involved signing national scholarships.

One of those scholarships, it turns out, was mine.

Years ago, she would have signed the approval for the scholarship that supported me during my master’s degree - funding that helped my family during that important time in my life.

I told her what I studied, how my career had unfolded, and how meaningful that support had been. Then I thanked her on behalf of myself and my family for approving that scholarship.

What Are the Odds?

What are the chances of meeting the very person who once approved such a pivotal opportunity in your life?

It felt like a rare and beautiful moment of connection, one that allowed me to express gratitude that had lived quietly in my heart for years.

And it almost didn't happen.

The Power of Follow-Through

If I had talked myself out of swimming this morning, I would have missed that conversation.

I would have missed the chance to say thank you.

I would have missed a moment of connection that reminded me how small and surprising the world can be.

Sometimes the value of showing up isn’t in the workout, the writing session, or the task itself.

Sometimes it’s in the unexpected moments waiting on the other side of our follow-through.

A simple reminder: you never know what might happen when you show up.