Limits

We’ve been watching the Winter Olympics over the last two weeks. Did you catch the figure skating performances? During dinner, we’d watch the pairs and free skate performances with bated breath, chewing and hoping everyone landed their jumps. Some did and some didn’t.

What I noticed was that the skaters who weren’t chasing medals performed more confidently and flawlessly than those who seemed weighed down by the pressure of winning gold. Not having that pressure — and simply enjoying the craft — seemed to allow them to be limitless in their execution.

Yesterday morning, Nick and I watched more of the Olympics, and I caught a segment about why Norway dominates the Winter Games. Their secret to success is play. They introduce winter sports to their kids very early and let them engage as much or as little as they want. There’s no pressure. Things don’t start getting serious until age 13, giving kids time to reach their full potential. Meanwhile, 70% of American kids quit organized sports by 13 because the experience becomes too pressurized, too competitive, and often too expensive. In turn, sports stop being fun, and American kids get robbed of the opportunity to become competitive athletes because we push them into high-stakes competition too soon.

Image: Me with two lovely women that I met while our hot chocolate was served at the Bloomberg offices last Friday. One person happened to be a customer and the other was her colleague who she introduced to our brand that afternoon.

All of this got me thinking about my own work. I need more play in my life. Don’t get me wrong — I’m having fun with everything I do at Sugar Hill Creamery — but sometimes I get distracted by the competition of trying to be the best. It took the Olympics to remind me that competition is a distraction; it’s a by-product of the work, not the work itself. If I want to reach my full potential, I can’t be anchored to competition. I can only be rooted in joy, play, and commitment to my craft. Grounding myself in this approach may mean it takes longer for people to feel the impact of what I do — but when you’re having fun, who’s watching the clock?

Petrushka

Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach