In Russia, the Spartak Tennis club has produced more top-20 women players than the entire United States. Its key philosophy is that technique is everything and so students spend 3 years learning how to hit the ball correctly before ever competing. Spartek Tennis Club has three key learning principles; 1) Slow it down – Training in slow motion. 2) Imitate … Read More
The Negative Bias
Everyday when I sit down to write the following thoughts cross my mind… Does anybody care about what I have to say? Am I wasting my time? Will anybody even read it? Is it worth the effort? Am I just being egotistic? Our brains constantly search for things to think about and unfortunately for us these tend to bias toward … Read More
The importance of small wins.
One of the hardest aspects of creating something new is having the ability to finish. We all get flashes of inspiration followed by a desire to put pen to paper but as the initial drive wears thin, self doubt begins to flood in and the process quickly becomes a battle of wills. One of the main reasons for giving up … Read More
Care enough to get hit
Every time a fighter walks into the ring he/she knows they are more than likely to get hit in the face… Hard. To the average person this may seem absurd or even animalistic in nature but to the martial artist they are doing what they love and so the potential beating is worth the trade off. Everyday thousands of people … Read More
Will it work? Is it what I’m supposed to be doing?
If like me you’re constantly thinking up ideas for new ventures then you will almost always battle with these two questions. Will it work? This is always the first thing that comes to mind and is your rational lizard brain weighing up the probability of success in comparison to your own personal knowledge. It’s also the part the brain that deciphers … Read More
Playing the Piano at St Pancras.
I always admire those who play the street pianos at St Pancras station; they always seem to be so content with standing out. For most of us, fear of rejection keeps our best work hidden and so we retreat to the safe confines of social conformity. Unfortunately, our economy desperately needs bravery; technological advancements have created a worldwide stage meaning … Read More
Why authority no longer works.
Most people who claim to have authority only do so because someone else has granted it to them, usually of higher authority. Fortunately, this ego-powered process is in quick demise as the new economy demands leaders who create more leaders rather than cracking the whip. Authority flourished in the industrial economy because most work was piece rate and required fairly … Read More
When I first saw my Dad cry.
We were in the hospital, waiting out side the surgery room. My little brother had been run over by a speeding driver and was having the two sides of his broken femur re-attached. I had never seen my parents embrace, not even when they were together, and now years later they held each other and helplessly sobbed into each other’s … Read More
Enjoy the aspects of ‘losing control’
Humans love routine. Without it, we quickly become filled with self doubt and a lack of purpose generally leads to depression. On the flip side of this, routine is the killer of creativity and self growth. Once in a secure job, many people switch to auto pilot and before long, they’ve spent ten years of their life coasting. And guess … Read More