Web Redesign: Expanded TI Mission Statement

[terry]

I'm grateful for the free and frank exchange of views by all. Rest assured that the language I use for first-time site visitors will be different than what I use here. I know I can use 'shorthand' here because we think alike.

In the What Is TI section, I'll use language that - for me - represents the Body-Mind-Spirit triad that defines 'holistic.'
But for instance, rather than use the term "Spirit" on that page, I'll write things like:
"Swim with the expectation of improving."
"Swim with confidence in the choices you make."
Etc.

I'll also describe the health component in concrete terms that should resonate strongly with almost anyone.
E.G. While saying that 'everyone knows swimming is a heart-healthy, low-impact, all-around body toner' I'll add that the particular style and approach TI teaches maximizes the 'anti-aging' or 'healthful aging' aspects -- and will include a link to an article that gives research-supported details why.

[Patricia]

Total Immersion: Graceful Swimming that Changes Your Life

The gracefulness of TI swimming resonates with me but I would not like to see it as part of the TI tag or mission statement. On many occasions when talking TI swimming someone will say, oh that is the pretty one, slow but looks good. Graceful has the same connotation.

A simple tag line will recieve more publicity than the mission statement. I for one would prefer the tag line without the addition of the word graceful. Swimming that changes your life has greater application.

[terry]

Originally Posted by Patricia

Swimming that changes your life has greater application.

Thanks for your thoughts. No worries there. Having finally - after 20 yrs - settled on Swimming That Changes Your Life, I'm not thinking of changing it.

[johnny.widen]

When I worked for a company some 20 years ago, we worked on a mission statement. It was supposed to be short, vigorous and easy to remember. Together with the mission we had an explanation, a rationale, that described each part of it. The idea was that each employee should be able to say the easily remebered mission statement as a lift pitch and also to understand and agree with the meaning of it.

As you wrote, Terry, this can be taken care of in the What is TI section, and I think it could be a good idea to explicitly address each part of the mission statement there.

[johnny.widen]

Originally Posted by terry

Thanks for your thoughts. No worries there. Having finally - after 20 yrs - settled on Swimming That Changes Your Life, I'm not thinking of changing it.

Hmmm, you wrote this while I was writing the previous post... ;-)

... Swimming That Changes Your Life is good and with an accompanying explanation in What is IT it will be perfect.

[johnny.widen]

I just want to second what other people have said in this thread about how they initially found TI.

As I tell in the My Total Immersion Story, it was Shinji's swim clip together with Terry's motivations in his talk about Total Immersion Perpetual Motion Freestyle, that first attracted me to TI. I actually saw that clip about a year earlier, but it wasn't until I found it again and also found the clip with Terry's motivations I got caught.

What I was looking for was an explanation why some people seem to swim so much faster than others, to be able to adopt that myself. It was Shinji's effective stroke that drew my attention, but without any explanation of it, he was just another swimmer in the row with an effective stroke. Well, actually his splash-free swimming also stuck out. But, just watching the video wasn't enough to understand why he travelled so far on each stroke.

What I am trying to say is, that I, as others in this thread have stated, I was looking for a way to swim faster, and with that accompanying motivation with Shinji's swim clip I would have start my TI journey a year earlier. Other aspects of swimming but speed has come to me later and today I am very thankful to have got a completely new dimension of swimming, that has changed my life.

[johnny.widen]

Originally Posted by terry

I'll also describe the health component in concrete terms that should resonate strongly with almost anyone.
E.G. While saying that 'everyone knows swimming is a heart-healthy, low-impact, all-around body toner' I'll add that the particular style and approach TI teaches maximizes the 'anti-aging' or 'healthful aging' aspects -- and will include a link to an article that gives research-supported details why.

Terry, even if the word health didn't got its place in the mission statement, I suppose that you will touch that in other places on the new website.

I remember that when you told us that you were writing a new book, you showed a passage where you wrote something like 'TI gives you longer life'. I reacted negative to that since you didn't give any references that supported your statement. My intention was to mention that the, but I forgot about it. When you now say the same thing and say that you have scientific support for it, I feel relief, since statements like that needs to be backed up, else they are considered only as advertising mumbo jumbo.

I am curious about that article, so could you please provide us with the link?

[Mike from NS]

Originally Posted by Patricia

Total Immersion: Graceful Swimming that Changes Your Life

The gracefulness of TI swimming resonates with me but I would not like to see it as part of the TI tag or mission statement. On many occasions when talking TI swimming someone will say, oh that is the pretty one, slow but looks good. Graceful has the same connotation.

A simple tag line will recieve more publicity than the mission statement. I for one would prefer the tag line without the addition of the word graceful. Swimming that changes your life has greater application.

I agree with Patricia. As much as we might strive to be graceful I think I'd rather like to be able to "claim" having style or maybe even focused style. TI has certainly changed my life - in that I always look forward to swimming opportunities now .... and another chance at getting better - hopefully! The title "Freestyle made Easy" really caught my attention in the beginning ... the "easy" had me hooked instantaneously.

[andyinnorway]

I haven't read every post in this thread as have been traveling a few days and not online so apologies if I am repeating anything discussed.

I think TI is much more than a swimming technique, swimming is just the current chosen vehicle.

I could just as easily apply my understanding of TI to learning Tennis, the trumpet or a career in management.

What is the TI template.

1 Take a technical skill and deconstruct it into smaller parts to allow for self coaching.

Successful Self coaching relies on full comprehension of the smaller parts together with an opportunity for self evaluation.

2. Adopt a kaizen based daily practice based on mindful focus.

3. Make iterative changes during a process of continuous self evaluation.

4. Provide an enthusiastic support network to encourage group learning and or professionally trained coaches for people requiring a short cut to success.


TI is a vastly superior version of the ...for dummies series and the fact that it has not been expanded to titles other than swimming astounds me.

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

TI is a vastly superior version of the ...for dummies series and the fact that it has not been expanded to titles other than swimming astounds me.

With the risk that we end up with a "ti running" version of "POSE Swimming"? >Shudder<

Actually, I am actively taking what I've learned about running technique from guru Bobby McGee and applying some of Terry's ideas with TI swimmign...balance, streamline & propulsion. The running version takes a slightly different tack, but is equally minimalist in its overview. I actually did this with Terry's "coaching" after I tried unsuccessfully to explain what I had learned from Bobby McGee. Terry asked if I could distill it into 3 things. When I did, I suddenly saw the parallels to balance/streamline/propulsion. I'll share in a blog when I flesh it out a little bit more.