Business: What is the Stock Market Thinking?
If the stock market was a person—gosh, if corporations can have the same rights as people, why can’t the stock market have thoughts and feelings?— he could be diagnosed with a wide range of psychiatric disorders (I don’t mean to be sexist, but the majority of people in the stock market are male and, if […]
Read MoreTechnology: Even Silicon Valley Says Step Away from the ‘Matrix’
Even the Lords of Tech are realizing that too much technology can be unhealthy. I’ve been writing about this for years. Nice to see that they’re finally getting it. “Stuart Crabb, a director in the executive offices of Facebook, naturally likes to extol the extraordinary benefits of computers and smartphones. But like a growing number […]
Read MoreParenting: Do Parents Replay (or Try to Correct) Their Own Childhoods?
My wife, Sarah, and I have two daughters, ages 7 and 5, and, thankfully, we have very similar philosophies on how we want to raise our girls. This common ground has enabled us to provide a generally united and consistent front in the messages we send and, over all, how we respond to each of […]
Read MoreParenting/Education: Thoreau Knew about Raising and Educating Children
“I am struck by the fact that the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think that the same is true of human beings. We do not wish to see children precocious, making great strides in their early years like sprouts, producing a soft and perishable timber, […]
Read MoreSports: Why the World’s Best Athletes Use Routines
Routines are one of the most important aspects of sports that athletes can develop to improve their training and competitive performances. The fundamental value of routines is that they ensure total preparation in athletes’ efforts. Routines enable athletes to be completely physically, technically, tactically, and mentally ready to perform their best. I don’t know a world-class athlete in any sport who does not use routines in some part of his or her competitive preparations. Routines are most often used before competitions to make sure that athletes are prepared to perform their best. They can also be valuable in two other areas. Routines can be developed in training to ensure that athletes get the most out of their practice time. Routines are also important between performances of a competition to help athletes get ready for subsequent performances (for sports comprised of a series of short performances; to be discussed in a future post). There are a lot of things in sport that athletes can’t control such as weather conditions and their opponent. Ultimately, the only thing athletes can control is themselves. Sport routines can increase control over their performances by enabling them to directly prepare every area that impacts their sport. Those areas athletes can control include their equipment (is your gear in optimal condition?), their body (are you physically and technically warmed up?), and their mind (are you at prime focus and intensity?). Routines also allow athletes to make their preparation more predictable by knowing they’re systematically covering every area that will influence performance. Athletes can also expect the unexpected. In other words, they can plan for every eventuality that could arise during a competition. If athletes can reduce the things that can go wrong and be prepared for those things that do, they’ll be better able to stayed focused and relaxed before and during the competition.
Read MoreCycling: Prime Cycling Profiling
Now that you have an understanding of Prime Cycling—riding at a consistently high level under the most challenging conditions—from my previous Prime Cycling articles, you can begin the process of achieving it. The first step involves gaining a better understanding of yourself as an cyclist. This self-understanding then results in greater improvement and better performance. Becoming […]
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