The grassroots of high performance

Just last month, my 63 yr old mother-in-law crossed the finish line of the Sydney Marathon, running the 42.195km course as she weaved her way through the city from Milsons Point to the Sydney Opera House.

Not only that, she is backing it up and running a Virtual Marathon in November to qualify for the New York Marathon in 2024. What a weapon.

I appreciate the concept of ‘event fatigue’ but how can anyone fail to fall in love with an event which draws out the best in people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and beliefs. 

Regardless of whether it’s a personal best time or a DNF, the beauty of a marathon lies in the lessons experienced between the start and end points, and the teachings endured in the weeks of often gruelling preparation ahead of the big day. 

That’s why I’m the greatest supporter in signing my kids up for sport, be it rugby, cricket, swimming, netball etc. Sport of any variety is a classroom for life skills in teamwork, confidence, humility, friendship, leadership, communication, courage, determination, kindness and persistence. 

Why am I banging on about sport to you? These very same lessons are transferable across all high performance industries, including real estate. 

I’d like to tell you I win 100 per cent of my time, but even the greatest overachiever can’t lay claim to doing that. 

So how do I deal with setbacks? The same way my kids do when they lose a footy game by a point. Chin up, learn, move on and improve for the next time. 

A loss is so much more valuable than a win, as it’s only from losing that we truly grow to be better. 

I’m wrapping this up with a shout-out to our bunch of legends at Ray White The Collective who laced up in last weekend’s Bridge to Brisbane, as part of the sold-out 30,000 runners/walkers collectively raising more than $1 million for charity. 

Great work legends. 

I hope you enjoy the read.

Matt Lancashire