Bite Size: Why Win-At-All-Costs Doesn't Survive Contact With Business | Michael Klim

You're a humble man.

Six Olympic medals, 11 Commonwealth Games medals and 26 world champion medals and multiple world records.

You did all right, Michael.

Yeah, definitely.

I think the numbers do, when I look back at the numbers, they're definitely pretty – yeah, I think I've had a time to reflect on that.

And when the Olympics come around, I always go, oh, gee, I missed that individual goal.

And then sometimes I have to talk to myself and say, well, you know, that – That just didn't happen.

You know, it didn't happen on the day for me.

I couldn't put it together.

But, you know, I had so many other great races, you know, over 20 world records, been part of the best team ever.

And so, yeah, I think I've been able to put my ego aside better now than what I used to be able to manage.

Yeah.

Yeah, so it's interesting.

And so I've been able to, through swimming, what taught me that it's also that the sense of just perseverance, you know, and it's through anything.

I took that into business and definitely, probably, You know, the life and business, you have to approach slightly different than sport, I believe, because it was almost win at all costs and pushing yourself to the extremes.

And, you know, I was flying on a red eye from Bali to Australia, going straight into the office.

working a 14-hour day, then going to the gym, then, you know, doing hospitality, et cetera.

And I just burnt myself out.

And with that came, you know, my relationship suffered, my mental health suffered, my body started to fail.

So I think the approach from sport, it's quite selfish and it's very – once a single-minded i think i i needed to adopt a little bit more balance in in that work environment which for me i know some people are all or nothing but it proved to me that it wasn't sustainable and i think my health showed that and you know mechanically i started failing and then obviously with my autoimmune condition that was that was a big example that things needed to change

You're a humble man.

Six Olympic medals, 11 Commonwealth Games medals and 26 world champion medals and multiple world records.

You did all right, Michael.

Yeah, definitely.

I think the numbers do, when I look back at the numbers, they're definitely pretty – yeah, I think I've had a time to reflect on that.

And when the Olympics come around, I always go, oh, gee, I missed that individual goal.

And then sometimes I have to talk to myself and say, well, you know, that – That just didn't happen.

You know, it didn't happen on the day for me.

I couldn't put it together.

But, you know, I had so many other great races, you know, over 20 world records, been part of the best team ever.

And so, yeah, I think I've been able to put my ego aside better now than what I used to be able to manage.

Yeah.

Yeah, so it's interesting.

And so I've been able to, through swimming, what taught me that it's also that the sense of just perseverance, you know, and it's through anything.

I took that into business and definitely, probably, You know, the life and business, you have to approach slightly different than sport, I believe, because it was almost win at all costs and pushing yourself to the extremes.

And, you know, I was flying on a red eye from Bali to Australia, going straight into the office.

working a 14-hour day, then going to the gym, then, you know, doing hospitality, et cetera.

And I just burnt myself out.

And with that came, you know, my relationship suffered, my mental health suffered, my body started to fail.

So I think the approach from sport, it's quite selfish and it's very – once a single-minded i think i i needed to adopt a little bit more balance in in that work environment which for me i know some people are all or nothing but it proved to me that it wasn't sustainable and i think my health showed that and you know mechanically i started failing and then obviously with my autoimmune condition that was that was a big example that things needed to change