The Maddening Experience of Almost-a-Liveaboard
The phase before moving onto your boat is emotionally... complex.
I felt like an actual crazy person for the better part of a year prepping (but mostly waiting) for the moment I could call myself a real liveaboard.
I was filled with contradictions. There was excitement/anxiety for the future, frustration at the slow pace of progress, a nagging fear that it would never really happen. I was floating between the present and the pull of a conceptually extraordinary lifestyle.
It’s maddening because waiting can feel powerless.
An obvious metaphor is being ready to sail but waiting for the wind to pick up.
But this waiting game is special. It forces us to confront our patience, trust, and even some deeper shadows which tend to pop up.
The Threshold as a Place of Power & Preparation
This threshold phase is often overlooked. It's usually these unremarkable phases of life that are the most transformative.
It’s a liminal space where you're not quite rooted in the old, but not yet anchored in the new.
But we're not just waiting here.
We're recalibrating, aligning, and processing. This is where we clarify our intentions and let go of the things that no longer serve us... literally. We're moving onto a boat.
The Neurology of Transformation
Imagine standing on the edge of a dock, your new-to-you sailboat is ready for move-in.
Before even stepping onto your new home, you know something has already shifted.
When you spend time thinking about a major change or something you really want, your brain begins to reshape itself in response.
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is the part of your brain that filters information based on what you focus on most.
If you constantly think about your new life, your brain starts identifying opportunities, solutions, and even people who align with that vision.
These micro changes in your neurology are subtle but really powerful. They’re part of why this in-between phase feels so dynamic, even when outwardly it seems like nothing is happening.
You’re rewiring your brain to make the leap possible.
Delays are Not Denials
Rushing through this phase might feel like the quickest way to relieve the frustration, but you know when you're going against the flow of universal timing. We all know when we're rushing through a season that actually is asking for patience.
Do that enough times (like me) and you'll find it more often than not leads to missteps and missed opportunities. Rushing leads to compromising choices that don’t fully reflect our values.
This liminal space might feel like a void but what feels like stagnation is actually an unremarkable truth of transformation. And when the leap finally comes, you’ll be ready to embrace the unknown and unconventional with everything you’ve become in the process.
Taking the time to embrace the threshold ensures that your actions are rooted in clarity and trust.
And it's in this stillness that you prepare for the winds of change to carry you in the right direction.
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