motivation

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears
With their tedious diatribes about how hard things were
When they were growing up; what with walking
Twenty-five miles to school every morning ... Uphill BOTH ways

Yadda, yadda, yadda....

Close your eyes.....And go back in time....
Before the Internet or the Mac....
Before semi-automatics and crack ....Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...
Way back.... I'm talking about hide-and-seek in the park, The shop down the road, Hopscotch, Goomey, Donkey, skipping, handstands, football with an old can, Roly Poly, Hula Hoops.

When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life.

I’ve been fortunate to spend time with hundreds of awesomely successful people from many walks of life. But two really great people have taken similar actions in very diverse circumstances that have allowed them to cope with really tough challenges.

One has conquered the Seven Summits, and recently returned from his last epic adventure – walking to the South Pole with compatriot Sibusiso Vilane. And the other, a lady, has had to deal with the sudden passing of her husband, an ex-World Champion Canoeist.

Think back to when you were a party-mad teenager, or any of those occasions you wanted to get into an exclusive nightclub. Or that time you wanted to meet your idol when you were in the same room as they were? Did you find this easy or difficult? Did you get past security and in to the inner sanctum?

“You cannot consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.” Zig Ziglar

I’ve written about presence in a previous column, but we cannot ignore the fact that your actions result from your thoughts – not the other way around.

“You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims.” Harriet Woods

Very often victory is defined by beating others. Surely if you want to be #1 you have to get there first. But if you manage to do this without causing emotional hurt to others you become a true victor.

“Improve your self-discipline by reminding yourself of the results you will achieve through it.”

Here it is, that big word – Self Discipline. Don’t panic! In my book, self-discipline equals nothing more than Habits. So, get into the habit (pardon the pun) of forming strong habits.

The second worst thing that can happen to an athlete is to have bad race. There will be days when nothing seems to gel, when your legs are heavy, when you just don’t feel like it. Two years ago I had one of “those” days after my wife got me doing some DIY in the garden involving paving stones the day before a race. That was the longest 110km EVER on a bike.

Increasingly I speak to people at work who are unsure that the job, or even career, they have chosen is the right one. Graduates and young employees have more choices today than ever before - and most will retire from careers that do not exist today. So how do you know if you've made the right choice when you most probably were not given all the information at school? Here are two important questions.