It felt like we leapt into 2021 with a burst of enthusiasm, only to have the rug pulled from under us as soon as we got going, but another week in lockdown has passed. I hope you are finding some good, purposeful activities to fill your time that are aligned with your goals for the year ahead, and I hope that there is something here that can help fill some of that time.
TRIBEathlon Podcast
Episode 25: Laura Penhaul set 2 world records when she led the first all-female crew to row across the Pacific Ocean. She is a physiotherapist by trade and prior to founding Adaptive Performance she was Lead Physiotherapist to the Paralympic Programme for British Athletics, where she supported the athletes at the Rio Paralympic Games 2016. She was also the performance manager for Mark Beaumont when he cycled around the world in 78 days, so Laura knows what it takes to perform at the top level, and how you can ensure you reach your potential.
What I’ve Been Reading
Occasionally, you stumble across a book so wonderful that you know you’ll be mentally referencing it forever. That has been the case in reading ‘Feet in the Clouds’ by Richard Askwith. Recommended by Mitch Phillips in an early TRIBEathlon podcast episode, it takes a lot for me to read a physical book, but I have loved every minute of it. A beautifully written, potted history of fell-running and famous fell-runners it, has given me an insight into a world that, until recently, I didn’t know existed.
I’ve been lucky enough to interview the legendary Nicky Spinks who Askwith references in the revised edition, saying she would have deserved her own chapter. Fellrunner probably put it best when they said, ‘One of the most effervescent books about anything – never mind fell-running – that I have ever read.’ If you like running, or really just the great outdoors, I suggest you give it a go.
TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting
In an Efficient Wealth Update Newsletter years ago, I recommended the book ‘Predictably Irrational’ by Dan Ariely but I hadn’t watched the TED talk he released at the same time.
In his talk ‘Are we in control of our own decisions’, behavioural economist, Ariely, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions. Whether it’s decisions about your wealth, health or happiness, it is amazing how stupid some of the decisions we make are, and how we can better equip ourselves against these errors.
What I’ve Been Watching
Secrets of Success: Sir Alex Ferguson is a BBC documentary that now appears on Netflix, and looks at how the retired Manchester United manager approached leadership. A multitude of people around him share inspirational insights from his career as the mastermind of a successful global brand. If you enjoy it, it’s also worth checking out his book, ‘Leading’ – another Efficient Wealth Update former recommendation.
Quote of the Week
“I tell the players that the bus is moving. This club has to progress. And the bus wouldn’t wait for them. I tell them to get on board.”
- Sir Alex Ferguson
Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering
I’ve mentioned our Efficient Wealth Update Newsletter a few times in the above; I suppose you might consider it a monthly finance themed version of this email.
Each edition covers the essential changes to be aware of for your personal finances, but always contains an element of wellbeing and bucket list activities or something important to learn. There’s also always a book recommendation, which rarely overlaps with the Friday Footnotes.
Most people that receive these Friday Footnotes emails will get The Efficient Wealth Update too, but if you don’t, and you’d like to, you can subscribe here.