What you’ve always believed is true, may not be true.
This morning the strap on my swim goggles broke right before I got in the pool (details below). Going home to get another pair wasn’t an option. Nor did I feel like borrowing a pair from the lost and found at this particular pool – too sketchy.
So having no better options, I just pressed the goggles onto my face without the strap, and hoped for the best. And guess what – they worked perfectly throughout my whole swim, never losing suction or falling off or allowing water in. Plus, I felt pretty cool and futuristic.
This is not a post about improvising when something goes wrong. It’s about a fundamental assumption I’d made my whole life that was just wrong… i.e., that you needed the strap.
I wonder what other assumptions I’ve been making all these years, that are just wrong?
P.S. More detail, for swimmers: The goggles I’ve been using for many years are Barracuda Ultimate goggles. In the past couple years they’ve changed how the strap connects to the goggles, and as a result the connection melts in the heat of a very hot sauna. On a cold morning I’ll sit in the sauna for five minutes before swimming (not typical for swimmers, I know), and I’ve broken a few pair of goggles this way.