Purpose, introverts, positive fantasising and control

sent by Nick Grantham | 8th June 2021

"If you want higher performance, begin with a higher purpose."

James Kerr

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If you want to get the most from the athletes, you work with or the staff you manage, spend time connecting with them and developing an understanding of a shared vision. You have to move beyond plans, programmes, frameworks, strategies and spreadsheets. You have to understand what drives the athlete or staff member and connect with them to understand better what you are trying to accomplish.

Source: Legacy by James Kerr


"Don't mistake assertiveness or eloquence for good ideas."

Susan Caine

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I'm an introvert. Well, I'm probably an omnivert (I display classic traits of both introverts and extroverts, in specific situations), but I'm happiest when I'm left alone to figure stuff out in my own time. I've never been able to come up with the snappy one-liner, pull facts and figures from thin air during a meeting or maintain small talk for more than about thirty seconds! It doesn't mean I've not got good ideas to contribute. I need some time to figure things out before putting my point of view across. Next time you're in a meeting and one of your team members is sitting quietly, don't take their silence as a sign of ignorance. They may be like me and need some time to gather their thoughts. The person in the meeting spouting off may not necessarily be the one with all the good ideas!

Source: Quiet by Susan Caine


"Positive fantasising...indulging in visions of a positive future without figuring out how to get there."

Angela Duckworth

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The term Positive fantasising was first coined by Gabriele Oettingen, and it describes what people do when they have a vision of a fantastic future without figuring out how to get there. I often hear sport science students and graduates say that they want to work in high-performance sport, ideally with a premier league football team or a team competing at the next Olympics. For most, the problem is that this is about as far as they have got in their thought process. They haven't considered the obstacles that will stand in their way. It's easy to have a positive fantasy about the future. A positive fantasy will give you a warm fuzzy feeling for a while, but disappointment is inevitable in the long term. Without proper planning, the chances of ever achieving the goal are slim. Have a big dream, but make sure you know how you're going to set about achieving it.

Source: Grit by Angela Duckworth


"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself."

Michel de Montaigne

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The past 18-months have been pretty challenging on many levels. Many of the events have been way outside of our control. If we can't directly influence or control the circumstances, there's little point running around screaming and shouting in a vain attempt to sort things out. The best thing we can do is sort ourselves out, control how we react, and deal with the challenges facing us.

Source: Extreme Fear by Jeff Wise


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