Paddy Upton

Blog

Outliers: Die, survive or thrive?

Being an outlier can be difficult. It can work for you, or against you.  An outlier is defined as someone who is ‘situated away or detached from the main body or system’. Yesterday they died. Today, fitting-in can kill. The difficulty stems back to when our ancestors lived in caves under the survival threats of

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6 Lessons From Shovelling Shit

On Christmas weekend, I visited my sister and parents, who I hadn’t seen for a number of months due to touring with the Indian cricket team. I had asked my sister, Nicky to arrange some different or interesting activities around the Stellenbosch/Paarl area where she lives. For the first morning‘s activity, I was told me

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The invaluable lesson of a leftover pizza

The invaluable lesson of a leftover pizza

‘Exposure’ was one of the significant events that rolled into town with the covid circus. The carpet was pulled back to expose things like pre-existing leadership ineptitude, business weaknesses and relationship flaws. Unhappy employees became unhappier. Unhappy couples separated. Unhappy clients cut ties. The character of political leadership was revealed. Two areas of exposure that

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an easy win

An easy win for everyone!

I had a conversation this morning that I think is worth sharing. It holds potential to add genuine value to your life, and somebody else’s! I was messaging a friend who has been through a particularly bumpy Covid ride over the past 18 months and who recently lost yet another of her close friends. She

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The Covid Gift

I recently recovered from my inevitable bout of Covid. A friend sent me a message soon after and asked,

“So, what gift did Covid give you?”

“Gift, are you f#*king joking?” I thought. Two weeks sick, alone in a home by myself, and at least 4 weeks after of little or no exercise or surfing. Where’s the gift in that?

Then it hit me. How blind I had been. There were at least three amazing gifts that my pre-conditioned mind of ‘I’m sick, which is not fun’ did not see.

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You got this

The story of an A-Game

It was almost exactly a year ago that I was struck with one of those aha-moments in life! It happened at the beginning of lockdown and during a mental coaching conversation with the captain of a national sports team. For the umpteenth time in my life, I found myself discussing the concept of our ‘A-game’.

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unpacking the A-Game series

Unpacking The A-Game Suitcase

In my previous blog I discussed an aha moment when I realised that those athletes and commentators who regularly use the term ‘A-game’ don’t actually know what they are talking about! And neither did I.

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winning the world cup

Ten lessons from winning the World Cup

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup victory. Winning once doesn’t mean you’re the best – you just won at that moment in time. Losing also doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough. Real and sustained success happens when good people consistently do the right things in the right way.

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The Long Game

The Smart Corporate Athlete

Part three: Ideas for winning the long game. Psychologists who study survivors say that people who are rule followers don’t do as well as those who are of independent mind and spirit. Navigating our way through the many unknowns of the current ‘pandemic’ feels like we’re building a new ship and sailing it at the

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Mind shift

The Smart Corporate Athlete

Part two: In it for the long game. “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult – once we truly understand and accept it – then life

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burning out The Smart Corporate Athlete

Burning Out? The Smart Corporate Athlete

Part one: Chill. Play the long game. Now might not be the time to be exploding out of the 2021 starting blocks, doing all that positive self-talk stuff and pushing, struggling and striving to keep our high-performance jets on full power. “I’m tired of ground-hog day.” “I’m struggling. There’s too much going on, my health

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The Power of a High Performance Coach: Unlocking Your Potential

In today’s fast-paced world, achieving personal and professional success can be a challenging journey. Many individuals seek guidance and support to reach their full potential. This is where a high-performance coach comes into play. In this article, we will explore the role of a high-performance coach and how they can help you excel in various

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Unlocking Leadership Excellence: The Role of a Leadership Coaches

Introduction: In the dynamic landscape of today’s business world, effective leadership is more crucial than ever. Leadership coaches play a vital role in helping individuals develop their leadership skills and reach their full potential. In this article, we will explore what a leadership coach does, why leadership coaching is essential, and how it can benefit

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Fishing For A Great Life

Fishing for a Great Life

I recently went on a fishing trip that had some mates think I was mad. The explanation reveals the sanity behind the insanity, which I’m moved to share here… First, the trip. We set off one Friday afternoon on a two hour drive up the East Coast from Cape Town. Our destination was a remote

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