sent by Nick Grantham | 24th May 2022
I read a quote last week from James Clear and was going to use it in the newsletter, but then I remembered a slightly more robust quote that resonated more with me! However, I'll include James' selection here for balance:"When researching strategies, emphasise patterns over stories. One person succeeding means nothing. 100 people succeeding is a signal." Individual case studies will always be of interest to me, but if I'm looking for a strategy to implement with a team or athlete, I need a little more to go on that an n=1 case study. I want to see repeated success with a range of athletes in a different setting because all the good story tells me is that the sun shone on that dog's arse once!
Source: Unknown
Look around you, the people that cope well with change and planned unpredictability are the smart ones.
Source: Stephen Hawking
I love the idea that failure is the special sauce that makes success feel so good. I recently watched a fascinating documentary about Tony Hawk (Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off). I knew who he was, but it wasn't a sport I had followed closely. One section that fascinated me was his attempt to land a 900. Grab a coffee and watch this 7-minute clip - he slams into the boards repeatedly but gets back up, walks to the top, and goes again until he finally lands the first-ever 900. I'm sure that those failures made the success feel even better. You will experience failures, but when the breakthrough comes, you'll savour it!
Source: Turman Capote
It's a bit deep (the quote, not the river), but it's something worth remembering throughout your career. First, you will face many situations that appear to be the same, and you may think you have the perfect solution because it worked last time. But remember, whilst the problem may be similar to a previous experience, it will not be precisely the same. Take your time to understand the subtle differences. Secondly, you will have changed too. What have you learnt over the years? How have you changed? How will you approach the new situation differently?
Source: Heraclitus
Thanks for reading. You can get more insights from my popular email newsletter. Each week I share performance insights in my exclusive For the Win newsletter. Sign up with your email now and join us.
Join Now