sent by Nick Grantham | 12th April 2022
When you're viewed by others as the expert, the prospect of not having all the answers or not understanding a new concept or training methodology can give you the fear. So it's tempting to keep your head down and keep doing what you're doing. However, the key to long term success is having a beginner's mindset and a willingness to face challenges, fail and maybe look daft. Only by accepting some short term failure will you be able to make the progress you want.
Source: James Clear 3-2-1 Newsletter by James Clear
You know you're old and boring when you watch a documentary about Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan! Midway through the documentary, my ears pricked up when Sir Malcolm Rifkind started to talk about trust. We tend to think that we only trust like-minded individuals, people we don't have a conflict with, people that agree with our way of thinking. Sir Malcolm suggests it has very little to do with agreement. We can have ding dong battles with someone and fundamentally disagree with them, but we can still trust them. As he explains, the key is that trust is “when you have a certain sense that what someone is telling you or what they are offering to do or what they are saying they would do, that they mean it.†Who do you disagree with but trust?
Source: Thatcher and Reagan: A Very Special Relationship.
When was the last time you were coaching, and you really watched what the athlete was doing? Be honest. I mean, really paid attention? How often have you sat in a seminar and zoned out and not picked up the key message? What about exercise, is it just something that has to be completed or have you ever lifted, run or cycled and really enjoyed the physical sensations? How often do you speak without engaging your brain? We are all busy and increasingly time-poor, but maybe rather than always being in a rush, we should slow down a touch and actively engage in what we are doing.
Source: Leonardo da Vinci
We are obsessed with followers on social media. In turn, we often like the sense of connection and security that being a follower of a particular expert or training methodology offers, particularly when starting our careers. Rather than being a follower, switch on and become a student. Listen to what someone has to say and learn from them, but make sure you cast a critical eye over what they are saying and doing. Question and debate their principles, and take a look from multiple angles. Don't just follow.
Source: The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn
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