Paddy Upton, AI is moving quickly into most areas of business and performance. For many, it brings excitement. For others, uncertainty. In most cases, it brings a sense that those who use it best will move ahead. There is some truth in that. But there’s another dynamic unfolding at the same time. For a number […]
Paddy Upton People sometimes speak about talent with a sense of admiration. Yet talent, by itself, is not an achievement. It’s something we’re born with — a fortunate starting point shaped by genetics and circumstance. In many cases it’s something to feel grateful for rather than something that deserves praise on its own. Hard work […]
Paddy Upton In many environments — sport, leadership, and life — there’s a quiet tension around the idea of being a “good person.” Some people interpret that as keeping everyone happy. Avoiding conflict. Adjusting their behaviour so that no one feels uncomfortable. Others move in the opposite direction, prioritising their own needs with little consideration […]
Paddy Upton There are moments in performance where the issue isn’t effort, preparation, or intent. From the outside, things may even look fine. Results are coming. Standards are being met. Momentum appears intact. And yet, internally, something feels heavier than it should. In the clip with Bryan Habana, what stands out isn’t the presence of […]
Paddy Upton There’s a moment in most learning journeys where effort alone stops being enough. Up to that point, energy, intent, and repetition can carry us a long way. But eventually, the limits of self-reliance show up. Not because we aren’t working hard, but because we’re working in familiar loops, reinforcing what we already know […]
Paddy Upton Hard work is one of those ideas that almost everyone agrees with, yet very few people relate to in the same way. We talk about it often, sometimes proudly, sometimes defensively. But the way hard work actually operates in real life is usually far quieter than the way it’s described. Less heroic. Less […]
Paddy Upton One of the more surprising lessons I’ve learned in high-performance environments is that the quality of a message has far less influence than most leaders assume. We often prepare what we want to say, shape it carefully, and feel ready to deliver it. But the real determinant of whether that message lands has […]
By Paddy Upton There are moments in sport that pass quickly for the viewer but stay much longer for the person living them. The final over Dale Steyn bowled in the 2015 World Cup semi-final is one of those moments. New Zealand needed eleven runs. They got those eleven runs. The scoreboard moved on within […]
By Paddy Upton In most high-performance environments, a common tendency is the mind drifting away from the present moment, and into an imagined future. It’s subtle, yet powerful enough to change the trajectory of performance. From there, pressure and fear begin to build. Not because the situation demands it, but because we attach our identity […]
By Paddy Upton Across most teams I’ve worked with, there’s usually at least one player whose individuality becomes part of the fabric of the group. Someone who brings their own colour, energy, and a way of being that doesn’t fit neatly into any template. Harbhajan was one of those players. He arrived as himself, played […]
By Paddy Upton Pressure is one of sport’s great paradoxes. It sharpens focus, fuels intensity, and drives dedication. But when it stays unchecked, it begins to turn inward — and the same energy that once fueled performance starts undermining it. Mike Hussey once spoke about this in a way that made an impression on me. […]
Paddy Upton We all know that sport, life, and business are unpredictable. One day you’re ahead, the next you’re searching for your footing again. Yet despite knowing this, so many people live and perform as if failure shouldn’t happen — as if it’s proof of inadequacy rather than information about growth. Fear of failure runs […]
Paddy Upton Pressure has an odd way of shrinking our view. When an important result looms — in sport, in business, or even in a conversation that matters — focus narrows. The spotlight often swings inward: on me, my performance, my result. And as attention collapses around the self, options fade, the body tightens, and […]
Paddy Upton When I asked Shane Watson what advice he’d give his younger self, his answer wasn’t about technique, training, or even cricket.He said, “Educate yourself on mental skills as young as you can.” It’s the kind of reflection that usually comes later in a career—after the highs, the dips, and the pressure have all […]
Paddy Upton One pattern I see when athletes dip in form is an immediate turn to the technical. We slow video, search for flaws, tweak actions. Yet in many cases, the real issue sits elsewhere. It’s the attachment to the dip—carrying the last bad outing into the next one—that quietly extends the slump. In conversation, […]
