Preparing for the Brussels 20k race

Approximately six weeks ago I started running – as in it was the first time ever I had a long distance run training. The first time I surprised myself running 5k and it was motivating enough to go for more.

I also killed a personal myth: running alone is boring. Most of my runs are alone and it’s actully really comfortable. I always seem to find a jazz rhythm that would suit the rhythm of breething. Continue reading →

Being busy as a status of importance

When a colleague at work justified working long hours for days in a row with a better pay, this came to mind. The question of working long hours versus being effective is long winded, so here are instead some questions that might move the discussion forward:

What if we could learn more about technology to make our work life easier and faster? Are there any things that might help besides learning to Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V?

Is it that easy to leave your personal baggage outside the company? Will a tired, unfit and chronically disapointed ‘out-of-office’ Jim* become energized and engaged once he/ she** passes through the office door?

Does being part of a corporate health plan compesante for having a poor health?

Is coffee really all that it takes to perform at work?

Can a person engaged in work 12 hours a day, for days in a row, come up with solutions that will make the company thrive?

As I’m asking these questions to myself, I already know what works for me. Work, friends, health and other aspects of my life always intermingle and influence one another. A structure sport schedule teaches me about goals and this reflects in my work. A productive day at work gives me energy to move on in the evening and not disappoint my friends with complains. The energy we take from one activity varies and changes the way we perform the rest of the day, week, month… Think about this when you say that you’re too busy and this automatically makes you the better employee.

* a name randomly generated in the writing flow.

** Jim can also be a she, I respect your choice! 🙂

The reason behind color preference

If you ever wondered why you liked orange and not brown, here are some excerpts from an article I read this morning:

Would you drink brown tomato juice? If given a choice, most likely you would refuse the brown tomato juice in favor of the same stuff doped with an artificial chemical that stains the juice bright red.
(…)
For some people, owning a green car is unthinkable. These shoppers will gladly pay hundreds of dollars more to obtain the vehicle in a different color, or they will reject the green car and select an entirely different automobile in a color they favor.
(…) Continue reading →

In the game or on the couch?

Whenever I’m asked “are you watching sports?”, “what are you taking to go home?”, “do you often go to a restaurant?”, “do you watch television?”, “do you like working for others?” I always tend to respond “I’m doing sports”, “I enjoy walking or biking back home”, “I enjoy cooking”, “I like to be involved in photography and movie editing” and “I like to have my own projects.”

Leadership in sport, to be applied in business

Here’s a great article published in 2009 by Jeff Pearlman. You can read the full text on Psychology Today. There are so many leadership examples in the text that I can hardly make a shortlist of them. Instead, I took an excerpt of what I believe to be one of the best advice a company can give its leadership. And a question: do you have leaders with these traits in your organization?

Along with talent, there are several attributes that all winning teams (and winning players) possess, according to Kimball and other sports psychologists.

Work Ethic: “If you have a player who is constantly working to improve, it’s the number one sign of a winner who’ll make winning contagious,” Kimball says. “The focus isn’t 100 percent on outcome, but on getting better and making the people around you better. If players see their star working his tail off, they’ll feel compelled to do the same.” Continue reading →