The Change Catalyst

We are all looking for ways to increase our performance given the resources given to us and the time we have in the day to dedicate to our given goal - whether that be work, play, family or community.

A technique used by endurance athletes before a race is called the taper.  Like the funnel picture here, this involves reducing the volume of training in the week or two before a race. So if a triathlete is training 16 hours a week in the build up phase, during the taper she will reduce training volume to 8 or 10 hours.

While this may seem counter-intuitive, there is an important reason behind this. In short, this allows the body to repair and store up energy which increases performance in the race.  A lot of athletes find this lowering of training a challenge. As competitive driven individuals who are used to pushing themselves as far as they can, to step back and train within themselves can be hard.  As I am training for a race now, I have just entered my taper phase. I realized that this technique is applicable for all goal-setting.

Have you ever found yourself getting into a routine - albeit a high performance routine - and then asking yourself “Why am I doing this?” “What is this all about?” and if this is accompanied by questioning your own ability - you may need to taper.

If you have been pushing your new business development constantly all month and although you feel good progress has been made, you are not sure what comes next - take a step back.  Take a day or two away from the activity of generating new business and put yourself in a different frame of mind.  Call up an old and trusted client (or friend) and take them out for a coffee or lunch.  Instead of trying to sell them, treat it like a fact-finding mission. Use your curiosity to learn more about their lives, ask them questions about their industry in general and perhaps even ask them to give feedback on your sales approach. This will strengthen the quality of your sales technique. Instead of hammering it to make 15 sales calls a day, take your time to make 3 quality calls. During your taper phase, see if you notice anything different or what you have learned that you can add into your toolkit.

High energy and passion are essential for success, but once a month add in a taper phase where you slow down, work within yourself and become more observant and “sponge” up new ideas. Enjoy the breakthroughs. Success in life is like an endurance race not a sprint so taper your way to higher performance!