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Going back to basics…

No matter how experienced we might think we are, at times it is vitally important we go back to basics. When I say that I mean learning once again the simple elements to the skills we have. As a speaker these could be in planning or delivery, and as a skier it could be in position and weights. Recently in Austria I skied on new ski’s and bindings, which brought new and testing sensations to my injured feet. At 42 I found it hard to adapt to my new kit, and soon realised that I needed to go back to basics…

As we get older, we can become stubborn to change. I had known for a couple of seasons that NTN bindings were the way to go, but the cost had put me off. Finally I bit the bullet and stepped onto the snowy slopes uncertain of how things would go. I found the first few runs difficult and fought both physical and mental battles as I sped (at times out of control) down the piste. I couldn’t ski where others were going, felt I was holding them back and became frustrated. I was obvious that I needed help…

Businesses often employ specialist Coaches to help their staff improve, climbers use Mountain Guides and I was happy for the help of a Ski Instructor. Working in lessons with other people who had skied much less than myself seemed a strange feeling at first, but going through the simple points of balance, pressure, position and weight etc made a huge difference to my skiing. I still fell, but I got up and kept going, falling and getting up again. How many times have we done this ourselves? We spend our lives learning, and falling down when things go wrong is not uncommon. It’s how we pick ourselves up that matters.

As a speaker I find the help from others in my profession vital. Recently I have become involved in a Mastermind Group where we critique others and help them (and ourselves) progress. Sometimes, something so blindingly obvious sits before our eyes and we can’t see it. This is where others can help. Again we can go back to basics and help each other in the building blocks of our profession. It would benefit us all if we helped each other in every sphere of our lives, and started building those starting blocks which hold up so much of our world.

After a few days lessons I felt much more confident on my new skis. Putting those simple lessons in place did a great deal, but I still have much to learn and will happily go back to basics when I click them on again…

1 thought on “Going back to basics…”

  1. Another great blog… Something I’ve been talking about this weekend – revisiting procedures at work to see if what you’ve been doing for a long time has become habit rather than best practice… And how having a work experience student asking you “why” you do something really makes you look closely at whether you really know!

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