Life Lessons from Riding the Waves

For Ayala Land VisMin Project Development Manager Paulo Quinto, work and life are all about continuously paddling out to the sea to look for the next exciting wave to catch.

Surfing is an escape for Paulo and has been part of his life since childhood. “When you’re out there, it’s just you and the sea,” he says. Between handling AyalaLand’s Davao estates and balancing his life as a family man, Paulo finds comfort in connecting with the sea. Here, Paulo bares how adopting a surfer’s mindset enables him to cope with the demands of work.

1. Reward yourself for your hard work.
   “I make it a point that I allot a portion of the month for a weekend to go out instead of just sleeping or cleaning,” shares Paulo. “In a way, it helps me focus on what I’m doing at work because I’m thinking about earning my reward—typically a beach trip with the family or a surf trip alone.”
2. Find a sense of calm in times of duress.
   With the unpredictability of the sea, surfers are wired to exhibit grace under pressure. “Surfing helped me create a mindset of staying grounded and calm even if my situation is difficult,” he says. “In our work, you may get stressed or frustrated by many factors of the job all at once. But I always go back to finding my calmness in these situations.”
3. Keep paddling forward to reach your goal.
   According to Paulo, surfing itself can be an inspiring metaphor for life in general. People might think it’s a constant ride like skateboarding. But actually, 90% of the time you are either paddling, swimming, or finding the right position. 10% is riding a wave,” shares Paulo. At work, he finds the pace to be similar. “When you’re developing a project, it takes years in the making. Then, once you launch it, you get a sense of relief and happiness,” he says.

Reflective of how surfing is as an activity, it helps busy professionals and family men like Paulo stay on their toes. “With both surfing and work, you immediately think: What’s the next thing, next step? You have to ‘paddle’ back and grind again and look for another motivation or a goal.”