Rob Vickerman’s career as an International sportsman was cut short prematurely. The former captain of England’s Rugby Sevens suffered a neck injury that forced him to retire from the sport in 2015, aged just 29. Rob now excels as a pundit, public speaker, mentor, consultant and coach, working with professional athletes to help them reach their full potential.
1. Prepare your day’s work in advance
“Preparation should always start the day before. Spend the last 30 minutes in the office making sure you know exactly what the plan of attack is for the following day – hit the track running!”
2. Stick to a routine
“Many of us don’t like to acknowledge this, but life is full of rituals. If you harness the ability to do things without having to think about doing them, it can only be productive – and requires less energy (think about driving for the first time and driving after 10 years – unconscious competence!). Think of what processes you do regularly (and have done well!) and you will probably realise that you already have routines.”
3. If you get stuck, exercise
“If you are hitting a low point – in creativity or inspiration – get the chemicals flowing in your brain and engage with a passion or a hobby or, if that’s not immediately possible, do some exercise.”
4. Pick a task and tackle it
“The mind cannot multi-task. Lack of concentration is a result of fractured attention so pick a task, get in the flow state, and nail it. If you can’t – then break the cycle and go for a walk.”
5. Delegate
“Delegation is one of the best management tools possible, and one of the most underused. I believe in transformational leadership so would always encourage others to engage on tasks to develop their understanding, efficacy and confidence. If the tasks aren’t done well, or perhaps wrongly, adopt a different mindset: there is no failure, just feedback.”