A Business Approach to Running Boosts Performance
Strategic planning, reporting, review of net sales, ROI…no this is not a financial report…it’s my approach to becoming the best runner I can be.
How sport influences people’s private and professional lives is a topic that is close to my heart and many of my colleagues. It is discussed over lunch and in the GamePlan A community while also getting its fair share of media attention, with the end results supporting the science that sport improves self-confidence, helps you to relieve stress and keeps you healthy.
I take sport seriously. Running is for me more than exercise or something I use to become a better employee. It is my true passion. I don’t simply like doing it, I love to compete! That’s why I’ve taken a business approach to make me a better runner and competitor.
Here are four things that I’ve brought with me from the office to my workouts.
1. A Strategic Business Plan
You don’t become the world’s number one from one day to the next. It takes many interim steps of achievement, detailed and careful planning of your training and competitions, learning from mistakes and setbacks, too – just as in business. The trick is not to lose sight of the main objective, to digest these setbacks, come back stronger and stick to the plan even when it is tough. And don’t forget to be rational enough to adjust the plan if needed.
2. Detailed Financial Reporting
The only way to check if you are living your strategic business plan, if your plan is actually working or if it needs to be adapted, is measurement. How does your weekly and monthly mileage develop? Are your personal bests improving as planned? Good runners track the intensity and extent of every single training session and check regularly to see if there is the expected improvement and at the same time – if there is not, take appropriate action as soon as possible.
3. Net Sales
The result of your latest competition is one important indicator of your current shape but it might not be the most important one. Don’t only worry about your current performance. You can’t win every single competition you take part in.There will be ones that you need to sacrifice for training purposes, or because your recent schedule was too intense to show your best or you needed to try out a new race nutrition plan. But that’s fine! It will make you stronger for your focus competition.
4. Return on Investment
You will always find people who will go one step further as they focus only on one thing, while you focus on both your professional and your sports career, but what you need to consider is what you are actually getting from your commitment. You need to find the right balance between over- and underinvestment – not only in business and sports, but also in all other areas of your life.
You might put all your effort into your professional life and then notice at the age of 60 that maybe should have put some more energy into your hobbies or even your sports career. Figure out for yourself what the perfect balance looks like to get the best return on your investment.
I, for my part, am excited to see how all these things will come together and where the above-mentioned initiatives will help me get the most out of my life.
0 COMMENTS