Multiple Streams

I was reviewing videos of my Ironman New Zealand 2010 race, and I was amused by my look of delight as I exited the swim, mounted my bike, dismounted, ran and did a zig zag finish (I was giving high fives) in the chute. Despite a tough day, and a compromised race performance (after being hit by a taxi the month before), I was pleased that I completed my ninth foray in the 226km triathlon format. In almost every one of my race-finishes, I end with a smile. I think that it is a mixture of emotions, including a sense of relief, accomplishment, achievement and importance.

The swim start is my most satisfying leg of the triathlon, as I feel stoked when I exit the water. I have swum in lakes, the sea, and a river (Vineman 2007). Each water body poses it set of risks and challenges, and I just soak in the experience. Keep my eyes on the buoys, following the bubbles ahead of me, and be wary of kickers.

How do you start off a conversation? How do you initiate a process or intervention? How do you start a meeting?

Some leaders begin a meeting with small talk, or an icebreaker. Others plunge neatly into it with no fuss and no frills. Extraverts may have an advantage yet conversations need a trigger, and your topic and content matters. Above all, pay close attention to your subject – the person you are conversing with – as they matter as much. There is a truism that people are interested in them self and they do know more about this subject than anything else.

I have been plundering my personal library and discovered a few books. One of them is Robert Allen’s Multiple Streams of Income. What I was keen on was not merely the wealth-building strategies he offered, but the concept of multiple streams.

Applying that to our purpose, what are our multiple streams for the following?

1)    Leadership

2)    Employability

3)    Relationships

4)    Relevance

5)    Living and lifestyle

Just a thought – and moving ahead…

*****

Another rainy morning, and I slept in. I ditched my plan for riding and opted for an extended recovery sleep. I feel much better and my injuries are healing. I will do my core stability exercises shortly, as that is a vital link to my sporting progress. It is less than nine weeks to Berlin and it will be a varied log of hills, intervals, Fartlek and mileage. I am looking forward to watching Inception this afternoon, and I intend to review it for its rave reviews.