Just Concentrate on Execution – Inspired by Great Young Talent Penny Oleksiak

The incredible performance of an inspiring Canadian swimmer at the Rio Olympic Games, Penny Oleksiak, made me recall one important basic principle: to focus on execution instead of results.

Many Canadians will remember young Penny mostly for her 4 medals and especially her gold one (what a comeback in the last 25 meters). Personally, her silver medal got me hooked as I noticed her reaction. She was so focused on doing her best (execution) that she didn’t even consider the chance of winning a medal (result); you can see by her delayed reaction she was quite surprised by the end result.

When you think too much about the result, you can choke by anticipating you’re gonna win or when things are not going your way. For instance, in golf, sinking a 3 feet put can be pretty easy to execute; not so much if you think about the potential consequences, like winning the US Open or your 100$ friendly wager with your buddies.

As Penny has demonstrated several times during these games, the secret seems to be to concentrate you efforts only on doing the best you can and to forget the rest.

Furthermore, properly pacing yourself can be an important element to consistently keep up the quality of your performance and execution. In that sense, adopting the 12-Minute Approach can be a great catalyst to maintain your level of performance. As you use it more and more, you’ll see that this technique can be applicable to many aspects of your life. In many circumstances, focusing on staying relaxed may be your optimal and unique option.

So next time you end up in a situation that makes you nervous, keep in mind to go do your thing to the best of your abilities and don’t worry about the consequences, good or bad. In due time, you’ll reap the benefits of all your efforts. 

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Wacky Golf Fact – Hammering Down Tee and Walking On Water

This unusual story was related to me by my good friends, Bob and Gaby.

A couple years ago, they went out to the golf course on a cold brisk day for their first game of the season. Everyone knows it would take more than bad winter-like conditions to stop good old golf enthusiasts like them.

Yet, that morning, Bob and Gaby found out that some maniacs are wackier than others as they were paired up with 2 complete strangers…

It all started right after they introduced themselves to each other. One of these odd guys, dressed more for duck hunting than golf – but we could pardon it because it was pretty damn cold, pulled a hammer out of his golf bag!

Using Hammer to Tee Off

And not a little tiny hammer but rather one of these big construction-type metal ones with a black rubber handle!

What could he be doing with a hammer of a golf course?

Portfolio Update August 2016

Note that, as usual, you can expect our next update in about 12 weeks or so, in November 2016.

Meanwhile, you can also have a look at our actual portfolio and previous portfolio updates here:

DIY Portfolio

Portfolio Update August 2015

Portfolio Update November 2015

Portfolio Update February 2016

Portfolio Update May 2016

Since May, markets have continued to soar up. This is a great thing for our DIY Portfolio value but kind of makes it very difficult to find interesting stocks to buy.

We were hoping Brexit (the possibility of Great Britain leaving the European Union) could provide some short term disturbance to make solid stocks more affordable, but looks like the scary Brexit-leave-vote-bomb was a dud after all.

Then the agonising question comes back to haunt us yet again:

Should we be worried about these skyrocketing markets?

Once more, I’ll remind you that I am not an investment or tax professional of any kind. The intent of this blog is not to give specific investing advice. Before investing yourself, we suggest you to do all necessary research and consult a licensed financial professional if need be. 

Brexit Scare Quickly Went Away

A couple weeks before the Brexit vote, world markets, anticipating a stay vote, mounted quite a rally. Things were running smoothly and we were almost ready to talk about Brexit as a past remote possibility. Heck, less than 24 hours before the vote, even bookmakers heavily favoured the stay side and you know and no sane person would dare bet against these guys…

The Next Best Way of Living in the Present

Many studies and reflections on happiness seemed to point out that living in the present is an important key.

Even if I know deep down that it would obviously be the best thing for me, for some reason, I just can’t commit to that ultimate goal: to always live in the present moment. There’s no use feeling guilty about it but I’m probably still a little too weak to completely grasp and embrace that fundamental happiness concept.

Yet in recent months, I have discovered an interesting intermediate alternative: I use the 12-Minute approach to concentrate on the actual 12-Minute segment.

Now when I start a task, I focus on it and know what I’ll be doing for the next 12 minutes. At the end of the 12-Minute segment, I begin a new 12-Minute cycle with either a different task or continue with the initial one if it is not yet completed.  

That way, I’m never get too far ahead of myself and I can concentrate on what’s happening right here and now!

It may sound odd but I feel more secure taking bigger bites (12 minutes instead of an instant) with that half-way approach. It has made it easier for me to evolve towards the ultimate goal of truly living in the present!

This method also helps getting through tougher days. Sometimes, it can be a drag to motivate yourself for a whole day but you can almost always envision yourself getting by the next 12 minutes.     

Even though it’s not perfect, living in the 12 actual minutes has really made me take major steps and as time goes by, I am able to appreciate precious little moments of my life more and more. 

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