Work on understanding and improving your body’s capabilities and addressing imbalances right now to ensure your body “machine” lasts longer, allowing you to enjoy sports and activities well into old age.
Strive for even functional movement patterns on both sides of your body, as this is essential for optimal performance, preventing issues in any physical activity, and ensuring joint longevity.
Build self-trust and confidence by consistently performing small bits of preparation for your activities, as thorough preparation is key to reducing fear and improving performance.
Adopt a diligent daily practice, such as a five-minute strength workout every morning, to maintain good physical shape, address imbalances consistently, and prepare your body for life’s demands.
Pay attention to persistent discomfort or “early warning signs” during physical activity, as they indicate imbalances that need to be addressed before they lead to more significant problems or injuries.
Address physical imbalances and issues at lower intensity levels rather than waiting for them to become problematic in more challenging conditions, as compensation can mask underlying weaknesses.
Always begin physical activities with warm-ups and foundational, low-speed drills to build skills, confidence, and trust in the process before moving to more advanced or “fun” challenges.
Prioritize overall fitness for life, not just for specific sports, to handle unexpected physical demands, maintain daily function, and ensure you are ready for anything.
When facing overwhelming situations or fear, break down the overall task into small, bite-sized, achievable steps, mapping out a clear pathway to reduce anxiety and build confidence.
When feeling overwhelmed or unable to switch off, seek out elevated viewpoints or vast natural spaces to gain perspective, which can naturally help your mind unwind and reset, lowering stress hormones.
Identify your personal “happy place” – a physical location that brings peace and allows your mind and body to reset and recover, especially after stressful or traumatic experiences.
Cultivate deep, empathetic listening that goes beyond verbal cues to understand a person’s history, expectations, demeanor, and underlying needs, whether as a coach, doctor, or in daily interactions.
Extend the principle of preparation beyond sports to personal life, using it to improve roles like parenting and to better manage time for work-life balance.
Be mindful of how greed and desire for “more” can lead to excessive risk-taking; learn to back away and accept a slightly less “perfect” but safer option.
Recognize and critically evaluate how social media content and the desire for external validation can inflate ego and lead to unnecessary risk-taking in real-world activities.
Share acquired knowledge about safety and preparation with others, and always respect the environment (e.g., mountain conditions, weather history) as it is unforgiving, especially given changing global conditions and social media pressures.
Utilize local dry ski slopes or similar accessible, affordable venues to try new sports, even if you don’t plan to do them on snow, making sports more inclusive.
Before investing in advanced training or lessons for a sport, first work on foundational functional movement patterns to significantly increase the value and effectiveness of your investment.
Use significant life-altering events, such as near-death experiences, as a catalyst to reflect deeply on life’s longevity, re-evaluate risk-taking, and broaden your perspective beyond immediate goals.
Consider changing your environment, especially to natural, elevated settings, as it can profoundly shift perspective, reduce stress, and improve overall demeanor and performance.
Develop resilience and a “get on with it” attitude, understanding that personal challenges often require self-driven action and independence.
Prepare your body for physical activities by incorporating Pilates or yoga into your routine, as they help identify and address imbalances.
Actively schedule preparation time in your calendar (e.g., a five-minute session every night) to ensure consistency and build muscle memory for specific activities.