What do I propose with this blog article? That is a good question. I suggest to extract the best part of sports, and apply it to our daily work. There is a thin line connecting and separating work and sports. Let’s start by taking a look at both definitions in the dictionary:
- Sport: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.
- Work: exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labour; toil.
Here, we can see many similarities are involved: effort, activity, skills and sometimes money. Going further, let me add: willpower, concentration, focus, emotions and luck. You can discover many of these words in a job description or in the qualities of an athlete; maybe that is the reason why we talk about our ‘working career’.
I have always thought people who are very competitive in their jobs will be also competitive when they play sports, and vice versa. This probably comes from our DNA, or is learned through our culture or upbringing; after all, many of us have seen our parents and grandparents working their whole lives.
Work to find a sport you like
Nowadays, the medical market is full of stress, so, it is a good moment to find a sport if you do not have one. If you already do, I would ask you to consider playing it or participating in it more, as it will help you relieve stress and it is helpful to stay healthy and fit in these times. If you do not have any preferences, I recommend an individual sport that can be done safely in a group setting, like running, weight training, cycling, swimming or motocross (in my case).
An individual sport will help you learn your limits and your capacities, or how your body is reacting to stress. Sometimes, playing a sport is like try to win a continuous battle against yourself—we are always trying to improve our scores, times etc., or we are simply trying to get better. When taking part in an individual sport, you do not have excuses; and when you finish, your body rewards you with a dose of endorphins.
What about a team/group sport? You can also enjoy your sport with friends, or make new ones. If you train with pro athletes (or even people who are just better than you), you will always learn something new and, trust me, you will improve. You will learn to work as a team member, and to beat rival teams … Have you seen the similarities with work yet? I’m sure you have.
My sporting experience
I started riding motocross 21 years ago. It is one of the most demanding sports there is—you not only have to start the engine and accelerate, behind the scenes, you will find an athlete who is also fighting with a powerful and heavy machine, around tracks that are changing with every turn. You have to be 110% focused, and mistakes are paid for dearly (like in business). This sport made me more competitive and more skilled. It also made me realise that you need to be able to concentrate and forget all the rest. On the one hand, you have to learn to be resistant to difficulties, but on the other hand, learn to have more patience (in my case, with each injury).
Finally, I invite you to analyse all these points, and draw conclusions about how your sport can help you every day, with different situations, at work. Remember, there is a fine line between work and sport, so try to enjoy both!
Guillermo Rodríguez
SPT Quoter, Medline France
Guillermo is a young Spanish graduate of Economics at the Complutense University of Madrid. Based in Madrid, he has been developing his professional career in the medical devices market for the past 5 years. He is very passionate about business and extreme sports. Read more on LinkedIn.
23 April 2021
