Edition #27: More giggles. Less Grit
“Are you having any fun?”
This was a serious question from my coach.
And the answer was no.
It’s not fun rehabbing a dislocated knee for two months. It’s even less fun when you pick up another injury in your first competition back and have to add on another year of rehab.
My coach asked because he cared about me as a human.
But also because his job was to get my on the podium.
And my lack of fun was the limiting factor.
“Nobody looks stupid when they are having fun.”
The Problem: Am I confusing high performance with being serious?
“Just go out there and perform like it’s a regular day at the track.”
As an athlete, I hated this advice. Pretend all you want, but a Paralympic final is not a regular day at the track. I’m nervous. I’m saturated with adrenaline. Everyone is watching. And my future rides on what happens next.
When something matters enormously, the instinct is to become more serious. And it’s right that our approach should match the occasion.
But being serious doesn’t automatically increase performance.
Photo Credit: Geoff Flow
The Solution: I can take the work seriously without taking myself seriously!
In my early days of competing, I thought I could only crack a smile once I had a big jump in the bag. I thought I had to earn the right to have fun.
In my later years, I realized that fun wasn’t the reward for a good performance - it was a tool to access high performance.
Competing was still stressful. I was still full of nerves.
But having fun and a sense of humour gave me perspective. And perspective gave me the freedom to perform with the pressure.
It became fun to fly
It became fun to entertain
It became fun to feel so alive
I worked hard for this pressure - why not enjoy it?
Having fun isn’t careless or irresponsible.
It’s a science backed high performance tool.
The Application:
Permission to proceed without fear of failure. Because even if you make a mistake, you’ll learn something new and the world will keep spinning!
Roberto Ferraro illustrates this beautifully👇
Crack open your schedule. What mundane task can you inject with a bit of fun today?
Fun is not frivolous.
It boosts health, it boosts performance, and it feels good.
So start scheduling fun as a matter of urgency!!!
Stay bold, friends!
- Stef 💪
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