I have just read a book about Lance Armstrong, seven time winner of the Tour De France. “How Lance Does It” charts a quick overview into the type of person Lance is and how her has applied four key principles to attain success. It’s an okay book, but one of the principles has had me thinking a lot in the past couple of weeks.

Clarity of Purpose: Develop the deep commitment and focus needed to align your behavior and the pursuit of your goals with your ultimate life purpose.

Now obviously the book goes into more details but the thing I took from it is that Lance didn’t concentrate on winning the Tour De France, he focussed on the process that could make it happen by optimising his peak performance. His diet, his exercise regime, his weight, the construction of his bike (in detail), etc. These are the things he focussed on.

Basically he tested and optimised to the n’th degree. The attention to detail on the processes helped him to create the situation to win.

This arguably needs continuing investment of resources - time - and the understanding that you are never there. The journey to optimum performance is the ongoing challenge.

Sound familiar?