Tag Archives: training

Routines for the win

You know what you should be doing. But knowing and doing are two different things. Good routines bridge that gap.

Look around. You already have tools for success.

Maybe it’s books on your shelf. A notebook in your drawer. Exercise gear in storage.

Stop waiting for perfect conditions.

Pick three things that matter most to you. Make them as automatic as brushing your teeth. No thinking required. No mood checks. Just do them.

Set up spaces that make success easy.

A reading corner. A writing desk. A workout area.

When the space is ready, you’re more likely to show up.

Make it non-negotiable. Stop negotiating with yourself every day. Decide once, then follow through.

Treat your important routines like appointments you can’t break.

Now take action – pick one routine. Set up the space. Do it tomorrow morning. No excuses.

Small steps create big changes.

Conferences get a ‘yes’

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Showing up at a well-put-together conference and participating with a plan can be one of the best investments you can make in yourself.

You meet the right kind of people.

You learn something new.

You could make friends with like-minded people, who share the same interests as you.

I went to one this week with a plan to push the boundaries of introversion a little.

I thought about how I was going to approach the day and it worked out well.

I started a few conversations I would have ordinarily shied away from.

I stayed upbeat, enthusiastic, and open to anyone who wanted a chat.

I slowed down. Rather than tearing through the expo, I wandered around.

I saw more. I took it all in.

I’ve never been a conference fan. This experience, plus my attitude towards it, may have changed that.

The difference between average and overachievement

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Garnett at the peak of his powers, around 2008.

A quote from Kevin Garnett, ex-Celtics basketball leader, stood out in the Netflix show ‘Starting 5’:

“Stay humble, stay confident, stay on your craft.”

The humility keeps us grounded. We always move faster with our feet on the floor.

Confidence is the fuel our ambition needs to keep pushing forwards, no matter what we face.

I think the work on your craft, whatever that craft is, with the other two sprinkled into the mix, can be the difference between average and overachievement.

Look into their eyes

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Ran past a guy this morning who wanted to race. It only lasted a couple of hundred metres, but that was plenty. It got my heart racing. He wouldn’t let me pass without coming back at me, and credit to him for that. I’d be the same.

The pedal was pushed to the floor but I searched for another gear. After a few seconds of worry – that’s gonna hurt, have you got it in you? – I hit the red button as he tried to overtake again. It was all or nothing with about 600 metres left to the finish.

I looked around after 10-15 seconds to see if he was hanging on. All I could see were his eyes fixated on the ground. His posture was broken. His cadence wasn’t as steady or rapid as it had been. I knew he was done.

Tackle the hard stuff

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The hard stuff you don’t want to do is the stuff you have to do.

I don’t know if there’s science to back this up. It tends to always be the case that when you break the back of the hard thing, other things topple over like dominos.

The comfort zone lures us in. The fear of failing that hard thing, being shown up for not achieving, leads to avoidance.

Or we just get lazy.

The benefits come when you take the task on.

You’ll grow. You’ll surprise yourself. Inner strength you didn’t know you have will turn up and say ‘Hi!’.

It can be simple stuff like starting conversations with strangers or hitting the gym.

Signing up for a college course can freak us out, and they are hard to fit into a busy life, but why not give yourself a chance to find some of that growth you’ve heard about?

Break the big task down, set some milestones, and put a red circle on your calendar on the end date – party time!

Hard work on hard things

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Work on hard things. The payback for doing them is massive.

You’ll develop mental calluses.

Your brain will recognise what you’re doing and throw everything at you to put you off course.

The challenge is to fight the resistance and do it anyway.

Stay on the path you’ve set for yourself. Suffer a little.

You’ll gain strength and confidence from knowing you can do hard things.

Test your levels of courage, bravery, strength, or whatever you find hard right now.

Prove you can change. The benefits will flow.

Stop dreaming, start doing.

Completing those things that suck will always make you stronger.

Sydney Marathon 2024

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The last one for me. It was a great way to end it.

Solve your own problems first

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If you’re not OK, you’re not going to be of use to those around you.

The temptation is there within us to jump in and fix other people who we think need fixing, but this is not required, especially if we are struggling ourselves.

On an aeroplane, we are told to put our own oxygen mask on first before helping anyone else. It’s for the same reason.

This principle is easy to read but can be difficult to put into practice.

Set your life plans up to fix the things that you find difficult, then see if you can help others through your learnings.

Shift that first thought

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I don’t know why the reaction to anything is usually a negative one before a positive.

Maybe a cute baby gets a smile, or you see someone you know and like, and the safe feeling you associate with them makes you smile. These are times when there’s no downside, no bad feeling.

At work, that first thought is often one of negativity. It’s a battle to turn on the ‘can-do’ mindset, offering to help and solve a problem rather than highlight one. The questions come to the surface – why this, what that, why me???

I know it’s a choice in most cases – a choice to accept the bad thoughts and feelings.

Those times when I decide not to accept the bad and take the chance saying yes frequently lead to something good.

And, even if the immediate reward isn’t clear, there’s normally some kind of silver lining a little further into the future based on those good intentions being made real.

The planets align somehow. Don’t ask me how or why, but we’ve all had instances of these happy accidents.

For some, this is the norm. Why can’t it be for us, too?

The third goal

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The third goal yesterday was a stand out moment for our football team.

I’ve been banging on about putting passes together, keeping the ball. The clock was ticking. It looked like we would miss out on the points again. The final substitutions had been made.

We got the break from a 50/50 challenge in the middle of the pitch and the ball suddenly started moving from back to front, one player to another to another, then finally at our striker’s feet.

She swings a big right foot at it and the net bulges. It was never missing.

I was pleased and proud of what just happened because the simplicity of the move made it so effective.

There was nothing fancy. The ball just went from player to player in maybe five passes max, and the finish was excellent, but it all came from passes.

The whole game is about making passes – executing on the most basic of skills. The team that does it the most wins most of the time.

The work will carry on. The weeks we play badly will be when we don’t execute on our plans and the frustration mounts as mistakes take over.

But when that plan comes together and the ball hits the back of the net at the end of a move as sweet as the one we delivered yesterday, there will be no frustration. We’ll be winning.

Reduce the friction

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The less friction there is between thought and action, the better.

Logging in? Picking a different device? Turning on a keyboard? All slows me down when it comes to writing something, for example.

This can apply to most things we want to do that carry the ‘hard’ label, requiring some thought and effort.

The chances of producing something new reduces once the ‘thinking about how to do it’ procrastination process starts.

The fast, simple route is the good one here.

Are you better today than yesterday?

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Use a simple metric such as the one in the title above to review your day.

Think in terms of what you did and give it a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

No need for fancy spreadsheets or other tools for this. Not even a notebook. Do it in your head if that’s all you’ve got to work with.

But don’t avoid it. Making notes and tracking your progress every day will be useful.

Over time, you can add categories. Maybe you did a run which boosts your health but you didn’t read that chapter you committed to.

Taking action is what this is all about. It’s a simple and effective process when it’s done over time.

Yes or no, every day, over and over.

You’ll get a feel for what’s working, what’s a success or what might need to change.

Track things that mean the most to you and you won’t go too far wrong.

Your habits define you.

This is a strong one to build.

The trick to laying those solid foundations for a big future

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The groundwork for a future focussed on achievement of any kind is built on one thing.

Discipline.

It’s about creating daily habits that develop into strengths over time.

The task is usually something that doesn’t come easy. That you have to work hard at.

Mine’s writing. No doubt about that at all.

For others it’s maybe reading. Or lifting weights. It can be anything.

What’s yours?

Be ready for the call: get the skills you need to go places

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When the call to the big leagues arrives, you want to be at your best. Your skills in whatever you do for a living will get you to the top eventually. They can, however, also work against you if you’ve not got them primed and ready at all times.

Do you want to be more efficient than your colleagues? Are you struggling to stand out in your team and get ahead? By learning skills we all use every day to a proficiency level beyond the basic, it won’t be hard.

If you open Excel every three months, you’ll be rusty at best for the first few minutes. If you need a pivot table or some conditional formatting, you’ll be browsing YouTube for tips. The clock will be ticking. Stress will build.

Instead, do a bit of research. What are the top ten things you do everyday that you can improve at? Do you open PowerPoint occasionally but often need a deck in a hurry? Is simple business writing a big part of your job, proof reading and rewriting reports, or sending emails about emails?

Think about what you can work on that will increase your output speed or improve your overall skill level. (Business writing excellence, by the way, is a lost art, so if you make this your goal, you’ll be in high demand.)

We build muscles by training. The same rules apply here, too. Make a plan to practice often by using mini-projects (writing blog posts, maybe?) and having the apps you need open, or the tools close to hand, all the time. Sharpen that sword with regular effort. The benefits will compound over time.

When a project kicks off and the call goes out for a skillset that the team is lacking or doesn’t have in depth, you’ll be ready. Put your hand up and you’ll get the chance to shine. Your contribution will stand out. You’ll deliver at speed with little stress because you’re in control.

And next time the need arises, who’s name will be top of the list? You’ll be remembered for volunteering, for doing an excellent job, and for being efficient – a most-wanted skill when the pressure is on.

Take a few courses. Watch a few YouTube videos. The notes you make and that handful of shortcuts and practice presentations hiding on your hard drive could get you more than you bargained for.

Who’s on your team?

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Watching the Jordan documentary ‘The Last Dance’ made me think about the value of those around you.

Who’s on your team in life?

Having a virtual SWAT team of people who can help you when you problems pop up makes a lot of sense.

We have doctors and dentists lined up, but do we have the same for other types of stuff like feelings of anxiety, putting on weight, improving our writing, etc?

Our friends can get us so far, but are they real pros who will be there when we need them?

So many people are looking for the best in everything but don’t invest in people who can help them to get there.

Seeking out those who are at the top of their game is a big step forward.

And then the real work starts.

Train the brain

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It’s as crucial as any other kind of training. And, in many ways, it’s more important.

Every day I’m trying to do some kind of mental exercise to improve my thinking and use the power of my brain.

It might be meditation. It might be writing my lists of ten new ideas. It might just be writing a post such as this one.

But I do it every day without fail. I don’t miss a day because I know it’s having a huge effect on my long term results.

And I’m very focussed on the long term.

Short term is also important – we’ve gotta eat, right? But long term thinking and effort makes so much more sense for me.

My brain operating on level ten is the goal for as long as I’m still breathing and daily training makes this increasingly likely.

How about we check back in 50 years (age 98) and see if everything’s still working?!

Can you sell?

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I had no money in my pocket and no ideas on how to make more. The job was gone, the part-time business was drifting along and I didn’t know where to start.

It was a few years ago but it was a tough time.

I had a 9 mile journey to the place I was working at (for a couple of weeks before they made me redundant) and also had to buy some food, so the toss up was between the bus or food.

I walked.

Learn skills and change behaviour

I had to learn how to sell. Sell myself, my skills, my experience at this stage and then, later on, my products and services.

The alternative was to go hungry and start asking for handouts. I wasn’t ready for that.

I had to learn and change.

These sales skills have been incredibly important.

How to overcome objections. How to handle difficult customers and clients through basic communications. How to negotiate for the best price and maximum value from any deal.

I use scripts to keep me on track and I review and refresh these scripts to make certain that I’m always improving.

I know when to push and when to pull back.

These skills are so important to me. They keep everything moving forwards and allow me to build new relationships, spot opportunities and build a more successful and prosperous life.

Even a few basics will help you a great deal.

If you don’t ‘like’ selling or feel you can’t do it, take a step towards it and do some learning. It will add confidence to everything you do and help you in many parts of your life.

And you’ll always be in control of a deal. Very important!

Not all content has equal value

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I spent half my Saturday at a workshop yesterday. I won the ticket in a raffle so I showed up with an open mind and plenty of space in my notebook.

The alarm bells started ringing after 30 minutes when we were hit with the first sales pitch.

Our own introductions were given 5 minutes each, maximum (there were five of us attending). The person running the session then spent the next 30-40 minutes telling us part one of her own story.

Part one!

And so it continued. It was a 3.5 hour sales pitch. I took a few things from the session, especially towards the end, but most of it was filled with the sound of our presenter’s voice.

Which brings me to the title of this post. The labels you put onto your content and the experience you give to people who take time out of their weekend (my weekends are precious and not to be messed with – can you tell this??) has to do what it says on the tin as an absolute minimum.

The content in this one could have been delivered in under an hour as a webinar. Throw in some Q&A plus a (brief, interesting) sales pitch, promo or offer and I would have been content.

Instead, it left me with a couple of uncomfortable feelings.

Firstly, that I’d been sold to. For a long time during the weekend. My precious weekend. No-one likes this feeling, ever.

Second, it made me highly unlikely to refer someone to this event as it didn’t live up to the billing of a workshop. I spoke twice, maybe 15 minutes total in 3.5 hours. The definition of a workshop is “a meeting at which a group of people engage in intensive discussion and activity on a particular subject or project”. This was not a workshop, it was a seminar/webinar.

Thirdly, I genuinely like the person who ran the session and know she can do so much better. I want the best for my contacts and connections. I want them to thrive and grow. This session could have been amazing but it wasn’t.

Time to write my feedback email….

Turning training from hard labour into progress and positivity

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I’m into my bike training for the two rides i have coming up – 50 miles in Wales, April 23rd and 80 miles in Cambridgeshire, June 5th – and it is nothing short of hard labour at the moment.

I’m not a natural on the bike. Too tall, very long in the body and an ideal wind break. I also lack the big hamstring and glute muscles required to grind it out up the hills and push the pace on the flats. I’m also not very good at handling cold weather and facing up to the elements of this time of year where we live.

But I’m doing what I can to get the work done. I’m doing some short distances as often as the schedule will allow and building up to the first event in April. I’m learning more about how to get down low on the handlebars and slice more easily through the wind (of which there is LOADS) and I’ve done a lot of work in the gym on improving my leg strength – there is still a long way to go but it’s getting better slowly.

I enjoy being on the bike and the sense of freedom that it gives but I have come to the conclusion that it’s not a sport I’m ever going to love. I’m happy enough to train for the events coming up this year but long distance rides will be extremely limited in the future.

Having the bike for short sprint triathlons and some leisure riding will be enough for me and I would always rather be running – a lot less kit required, no fear of mechanicals or punctures and, for me, a whole lot more enjoyment. My knees will pack up at some point soon but I will keep them strong through the gym work and then deal with the pain as it comes on over time.

Find your groove

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The need for a groove – a regular routine – is very strong with me. I feel like I’m floating along with very little control, like a balloon let loose into the air, when I don’t have this structure and this doesn’t make me feel good.

It’s also very easy to lose basic skills through not using or practising techniques that you have learned. Golf is a great example of this – take a lesson and everything feels good for a while but once you stop working on your game everything you have heard slowly floats out of your mind.

I’m on the road a lot at the moment and finding structure and routine very hard to find but I have to find it. This time is important time for me to feel good and if I need to make changes in order for this groove to be rediscovered, I need to do it as quickly as I can. Like, today!

Keep it simple and focus on the goals. This will help to realise the importance of the routine and the practice and the peace and quiet or whatever it is that gets you in your groove. If you don’t, you’ll end up with lower patience and tolerance levels, a restless and busy mind, a lack of regularity in lots of areas in your life and you’ll not feel happy. Not good and definitely not a place where you can be your best.

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Ian Mountford is a global recruitment expert and strategy coach providing motivation and guidance to entrepreneurs, wannabe or fully-fledged. He draws from his own experience of building businesses from the ground up and spending many years helping clients to consistently achieve their goals and aspirations. Ian works with clients face-to-face and internationally.