Fundamentals

In our personal and professional lives we default to our fundamentals.  Wise coaches/mentors ingrained in me that understanding early in my life as an athlete and later in my professional career.  When things turn a bit chaotic or when the pressure becomes really intense, we automatically default to the fundamentals of our training.  

What are those "fundamentals?"  They're our basic behavioral responses.  Things like courtesy, respectfulness, thoughtfulness, reflectiveness, kindness, fairness.  More could be added to this list, but you get the point.

Just like in athletics, we can embed certain fundamental response behaviors into our pysche.  How?  By making them habits, by practicing them every day, by building them into our daily routines.

Then, when the world gets a little crazy on us (and it always will), we automatically default to those fundamentals.

And, just as in athletics, if we neglect purposefully practicing those fundamentals, we'll default to much uglier kinds of responses.