Be a Beatle
Be a Beatle
A while ago, I wrote a letter about how exhausting the list of things one “has” to do can be. Since then, I’ve spoken to many people who feel overwhelming pressure or anxiety about the tasks they must do and control to be “good people.”
Social influencers sell us miracle cures for every challenge: “Want to be excellent? Follow this morning routine!” “Sleep hacks to always be on!” “Eight-step nutrition for the perfect body!” These “hacks” aim to control every aspect of your life. While there’s value in borrowing principles from some of these lists, our hyper-fixation on controlling every variable has started to control us. Is sleep important? Absolutely! As a mom of two young children, I know how things go pear-shaped when sleep isn’t ideal. But if I obsess over how poorly I’ve slept for what feels like the last four years, constantly focus on how I feel, or check what my wearable says about my readiness level, I might not even show up to give myself a chance to perform.
Influencers sell – that’s what they do. They prepare relentlessly: eating the perfect diet, following the “only workout you’ll ever need,” sleeping eight hours a night, and relying on cold plunges, sunlight, and vitamin-enriched coffee to perform. Essentially, they claim that only when all the boxes are ticked and everything goes exactly to plan can you write the book, run the 10k, or “do that important thing”. They call this the path to excellence. But in reality, trying to perfectly balance all the variables that “need to be in place” makes us less resilient, not more.
When I look at truly excellent or world-class individuals, I don’t see this pattern. There are certainly overlaps. Most agree on the importance of preparation – sleep, nutrition, mental health, and physical health – but there are key distinctions. Here they are:
1. They prepare as best they can, but on “game day,” they don’t rely on how they feel, what their wearables say, or any other metric. They focus on getting the job done. They treat it like any other day, knowing exactly what comes next because they’ve been there countless times before.
2. Like Olympic shooters, they understand: good sight, good day; bad sight, still a good day. They know their existence is more than their performance in a single moment. They are also keenly aware and accept that not every day is a good day.
3. They let go. They control what they can, prepare diligently, and build resilience to release what they can’t control. They don’t fixate on the outcome.
So, when you’re not feeling it, think of the Beatles. One of their most iconic songs was written when they were hungover, disengaged, and not “feeling” it. Give yourself a chance – you don’t know what’s possible if you show up! So, GET BACK!
If you are struggling to shut out the noise and with interoception, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
