So, we can see that when it comes to our training, a certain volume of work when paired with adequate recovery is positive for our development, but if that same intensity of work is mismanaged and spiked, then the same exercise intensity can be toxic to the athlete.

Unfortunately, it takes a fall from the peak of mount stupid, on top of the Dunning-Kruger curve, for many of these lessons to land home.

Pick your big rocks. These are the things that will really push you forward as an athlete at this stage of the process. Prioritise these above all else. These are the need-to-haves. Don’t ignore these in favour of the nice-to-haves.

Growing up, it’s far more common to see people that are unhappy with what they’ve currently got, but unwilling to change their behaviour or really make an effort to commit to achieving more. Very few have the strength of will to be the crab that climbs out of the barrel and actually takes ownership of their own lives. Everyone wants to be different, but everyone chooses to conform.

We know that putting off what should be done today until tomorrow is not beneficial to us in the long-term, but we do it anyway, as all that matters to us in the moment is not feeling this very natural feeling that may not be very pleasant.

When you get to adulthood, having heroes is interesting. The older you get and the more experiences you go through, the more you realise that people are just people.

But maybe that uncomfortable feeling that I’ve been feeling as a result of not having a vehicle to push forward and seek personal growth is necessary. Maybe I have to get better at just sitting, being present and not continually worrying about the future in a positive but negative feedback loop of self-development.

How many athletes go to the Olympics each year in search of that coveted gold medal, with their own backstory, own life’s work and own team behind them, willing them towards victory? But how many of them come up short? Undoubtedly it’s the vast majority.

However, the ideas behind all of these team-sports are the exact same. Own possession, own the territory battle, create the space, find the space, convert the chances and put the opposition under pressure.

So although I learned the hard way that workaholism will inevitably lead to burnout and that there definitely comes a point where you need to switch off and relax, I wouldn’t change what I went through for the world.

Ultimately there are things that are outside of our control. And we need to accept those things as they are. The only thing that we have control over and that we must accept responsibility for is our own effort.

Attaching ourselves to the outcome is what generates fear. “What if I miss?” “What if I score?” In order to get rid of persistent fear, we must stop asking ourselves what if questions. We must learn to accept that the only thing that we can control is our efforts. So, that is what we should focus on.