Build your reserve

When I trained for waterpolo sometimes we did this thing where whatever swim set we did in the pool, as soon as we were done we would then sprint a quarter of that distance, or thereabouts. The aim was simple. Even after giving it your all, if you could give just a little bit more, when you had to dig deep in a game situation, you’d have a little in reserve. In theory, at least.

We can use this theory in other endeavours to help us dig a little deeper. We can also use this to go from receptive to productive in an instant too. As soon as you’ve written a piece, record it orally, or create something small from it, an offshoot so to speak. When you finish reading a chapter in a book, write a short summary, even just one sentence. When you finish a meeting, make a list of things to do differently next time. And so on, and so on.