The price of drive and determination

Like any committed parent, I’ve stood on the sidelines of cricket, football and rugby pitches, I’ve sat in the audience at plays and concerts (more my kind of thing). For the past 10 years, it’s been triathlon sites for my eldest son. I support as much as time and money allows, and have been to Nottingham, Lisbon, Bilbao, Paguera, Reading, Abergavenny, Cholmondeley and more to see him compete. This week it’s Barcelona…if he is sufficiently repaired after a bike crash last weekend!

My eldest son is the epitome of perseverance and determination. He competes against professional triathletes while running a promising sportstech business of his own, The Running Algorithm - https://www.therunningalgorithm.com/ The hours he works are eye watering and he trains for upwards of 20 hours a week. He also sleeps (!) and has a wonderful girlfriend, also an elite athlete, so I guess they “get” each other.

Because the kind of people who seek out coaching are committed and striving to be the best they can, my clients often remind me of my son. That drive and determination that makes people want to perform to their best in the workplace matches his drive to make his business succeed and to perform at his best on the triathlon stage. Sometimes ignoring their own needs (the bloody leg is an analogy here), they go on to build wonderful teams and achieve what seem like impossible targets.

The cost of high performance needs to be balanced with personal needs for all of us: when you’re in the thick of a challenging period at work, it can be hard to see the impact you’re having on those around you, whether your team or your family. Coaching is great for respecting and encouraging the drive while helping high achievers maintain a sense of perspective, keep a healthy respect for those around us and still have something left to give to those at home.

In the meantime, here's to Tom Epton in the Half Ironman Calella-Barcelona!