The shallow end isn’t where growth happens

I’m sat here at swimming lessons, watching my 6-year-old thrash about wildly (and sometimes swim), and I’m reflecting on something he said before he got in the pool:

“Mum, I don’t want to be in this class. She’s that new teacher from last time that wouldn’t let me play underwater!”

You see, Harpa has been happily coasting along in the beginners’ class for months. Never progressing, but absolutely thrilled about it, because his regular teacher is easygoing and lets him play most of the lesson. He’s loved swimming - he just hasn’t really been, well, swimming.

My reply? “Why don’t you listen really well today, and try as hard as you can to do your best swimming? Then you’ll go up a class and you won’t have to deal with her again.”

“I’ll swim like a fish, Mum!” he exclaimed.

And he did. Today I watched my fun-chaser crack skills he hasn’t gotten close to in over a year. He lit up, high-fived his instructor, and spun around to flash me a watery, ear-to-ear grin.

Harpa found his learning edge.

The learning edge doesn’t always feel fun. It can feel uncomfortable, confronting, even boring. But right there, on the other side of discomfort, is the spark of growth.

Watching him, I was struck by a thought: how often do we, as adults, stick to what’s easy, what’s familiar, what’s fun, rather than stepping into the space where we actually grow? How often do we stay in the shallow end of our own lives?

In my coaching, I work with women who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. We often start in that “shallow end”, coasting, playing it safe, letting fear dictate decisions. The goal isn’t to push for “hard for hard’s sake,” but to help you step into your learning edge, that space where courage, creativity, and clarity meet.

Sometimes, just like swimming lessons, growth feels uncomfortable. But it’s on the other side of discomfort that we discover our capabilities, uncover what we truly desire, and start living more fully.

So I’ll leave you with this: where are you still coasting in the beginners’ pool? And what would it take to dive into your own learning edge?