Monday Is About Modifying Mindsets

The mindset for each discipline is unique. For those coming from their preferred sports, there is always a sense of deeper appreciation for it. Swimmers regale about many lost childhood time spent doing drills in the pool, or racing for their schools. Likewise, runners who spend time on the track, or on the trials while away their time making the distance.

If we spend too much time on one sport discipline, you may spend too little time on another. You can develop an aversion over a sport that you do not excel in.

What annoys me mildly are incumbent long-distance athletes who claim that certain Ironman races are easier. There is no easier race. Every race is hard. In Macca’s semi-biography, he wrote that the only mantra he leaves by is: ‘Embrace the suck!’ There will come a point in the race when it sucks big time, especially when you are fatigued, bonk real badly, hurt, or start doubting yourself.

All the best Team Ironman Regensberg, comprising Singaporeans Matthew Wong, Conrad Yeo, Clifford Lee, and Angeline.

All the best to the long-distance triathlon team Singapore headed for the highly challenging Norseman. To date, no Singaporean has, successfully, completed it in the allocated time. Perhaps, Don Ng and Tee Boon Teong will emerge victorious in their personal quests.

Leadership Lessons: How do you adjust to changes? How do make subtle shifts to your schedules when things pop up?

Mapping Your Week on Monday

Monday does not need to be coloured the traditional black or blue. We have so easily bruised it with our off-coloured perceptions. This day has been tainted with the premise of contusions where staff tenderly look forward only to Fridays – TGIF.

How would you like to look at Monday and the rest of the week with relish? Be careful what you wish for. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy can turn your perceptions into reality. If you believe that this week would be long and arduous a climb for you, then it just might be one. We have the natural, neurological, ability to imagine whichever scenarios may turn out. Having worked last weekend in the Middle East, I viewed Monday as mid-week instead of the start of something unpleasant. You can reprogram your thoughts to be more positive.

Do you plan your week? Do you have a clear and big picture of how you will spend your valuable time with people, activities and tasks?

Get a fresh page of your journal and jot down what you would like to accomplish this week. List down the main tasks from the mundane to the must-do to the marvelous. The best part of having a list is to ‘tick it off’ after you have completed a task. It is like playing teacher, marking students’ scripts.

Consider the early part of the week as preparing for the weekend’s adventures and challenges. Steven Covey touted in his famous book ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ to ‘Begin with the end in mind.’ This weekend, I will teach a half-day workshop, and officiate an event (at *Scape Park) as part of my volunteer duties for the Singapore Sports Council.

Yesterday, I ran in a half-marathon and today was spent running errands and enjoying moments of reflection the race. I reviewed what I have gathered and experienced during my race, as well as the solid data I uploaded onto the GarminConnect website. I evaluated my efforts and determined the relevance of my tactics that led to my satisfying finish. Even if the race route was botched due to professional ignorance and my carelessness, I still considered it a very good training day. It was memorable because I ran alongside my friends and acquaintances, with very good runners and champions. Thanks to Poon who believed that I could set the race pace for him – I did, at least, for a while as the data showed.

As clichéd as it may sound: ‘Not everyday is a Sunday.’ This is because today and this moment matter as much as any other day. Enjoy your week with a sense of purpose.

Leadership Lesson: Plan how you would use your week; lead with your time.