Josie Askin, a long-distance runner and enthusiastic habits geek, shares her compelling personal journey, which has significantly influenced her approach to coaching. Her interview with Tracy emphasised the importance of a balanced life, this is what she had to say.
Josie emphasises the necessity of balancing peak performance with rest and recovery, a principle often overlooked in both sports and corporate settings.
“In the sporting world, we’ve come to realise through progressive overload studies that real benefits come from rest days,” Josie elaborates. “Athletes train hard but recover harder.”
High performance
This concept of sustainable high performance is equally crucial in the corporate world, where leaders frequently push themselves to the brink without considering the importance of recovery. Josie draws an insightful parallel between her athletic experiences and her corporate background, noting that burnout in the workplace mirrors overtraining injuries in sports.
“I understand the hustle and the demands of balancing home and work life,” Josie adds, highlighting her firsthand knowledge of corporate pressures.
Every move counts
Josie provides invaluable advice for corporate athletes and weekend warriors aiming to balance their 9-to-5 responsibilities with personal fitness goals. She champions the notion that “every move counts” for better health, advocating for small, consistent exercises throughout the day.
Josie highlights how even two minutes of movement can produce significant health benefits, urging people to prioritise rest and weave in activity wherever possible.
This approach not only boosts physical health but also maintains energy levels essential for both professional and personal endeavors.
The magic of habits
Josie delves deeper into the “magic of habits,” stressing that “the little things you do every single day make you who you are.” Drawing inspiration from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, she recommends building small, manageable habits and habit stacking—linking new habits with existing routines—as effective strategies for enduring change. This method shifts the reliance from sheer willpower to established routines, making it easier to maintain new behaviours over the long term.
Central to this transformation is identifying a personal ‘why’—a deep, intrinsic motivation behind one’s actions.
Josie employs the “5 Why” technique to help clients unveil their true motivations, connecting them to a profound purpose that sustains them through difficult times. “It’s like a kick in the butt that gets you going,” she explains, emphasising the importance of understanding one’s deep personal reasons for pursuing specific goals.
Neuro-identity evolution
Tracy added that Neuro-identity evolution, a process that empowers individuals to align their actions with their core values and true selves, rather than societal expectations. This alignment fosters a sense of authenticity and purpose, reinforcing the sustainable habits Josie advocates.
Integrating these lessons from the sporting world into corporate life not only enhances personal well-being but also drives professional efficiency and fulfilment.
As leaders adopt these strategies, they can achieve sustained high performance without the detrimental effects of burnout. If you would like to listen to the full interview, you can find it HERE