Gratitude is one of life’s cliches, but don’t ignore it – it just may be the key to success

Of course, when you’re woken by your three-year-old, sitting on your head as a not-so-subtle ploy to get you out of bed at 5am, and shouting at you to ‘play with me, PLAY WITH ME’, the last thing you’ll feel is grateful. Grumpy? Yes. But gratitude can go in the same rubbish bin as that marked pre-children dreams and wishes-for-a-good-nights-sleep. But then, that’s why they call it a practice, isn’t it?

We’re conditioned to spend so much of our lives looking forward to the next thing, the phase of our kids’ lives when they’ll be more independent, that job promotion, the bigger house, the better holiday, that it is nigh on impossible to enjoy any of the process of actually getting there. I’ve been reminded of this recently while recording my new Eurosport podcast, The Breakdown.

On the face of it, it’s a series of conversations with myself, Greg Rutherford and elite athletes or people in the public eye, about the lessons they’ve learned from sport that can connect us all — how to deal with depression, grief, success even. But here’s a bit of an embarrassing secret; I’ve been so focused on making the actual podcast a success that I’d forgotten why I even wanted to do it. The problem with concentrating on an outcome is that it is so often outside your control.

It’s not up to me whether people decide to listen, just as it’s really not up to you whether you manage that step up the career ladder. You can decide how hard you work to achieve a result, but whether you manage it will depend on other people, the randomness of life and a little bit of luck.

Speaking to Sir Chris Hoy, and Olympic triathlon champion Jess Learmonth in particular, it was a theme that came up over and over again. Enjoy what you’re doing, as you’re doing it, and not only will the outcome take care of itself, but it’s more likely to work in your favour anyway. The more we concentrate on the ‘now’, the better we become at doing whatever task it might be.

I’m lucky, because I get to pick the brains of people who’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what contributes to success, and whether external achievements can bring real happiness, and that’s why I wanted to do the podcast. I want to learn for myself, and pass on life lessons from those who’ve learned the hard way. I can’t decide who will listen, like or not, and the conversations are reward enough.

I had the chance to chat to one of the greatest, under-appreciated cycling talents the UK has ever produced at an event this week, Pete Kennaugh. Pete is an Olympic and world champion on the train, and national champion on the road, but never became the Tour de France contender that his younger self had been touted as. All through his years of racing, he struck me as guarded, cautious, fearful almost of what others would say or think about him. Even though he was living his boyhood dream, he never looked like it. Now that he has retired, and has come to terms with the depression he had privately battled for years, he’s a changed person. Happier, freer, more himself than I could have imagined. He says he’s learned what makes him happy. It’s not about the status or achievements that others might prize, for him it’s about enjoying the moments as you have them. As simple as that.

So don’t ignore gratitude just because you think you’ve heard it all before. Who knows, it could be the key to the success you’re dreaming of anyway. And if not, you’re a damn sight more likely to be happier along the way.

What I’m enjoying

Working on the Eurosport studio coverage of the Giro d’Italia has been one of the best working experiences of my life. We have an awesome team of people who work incredibly hard, and yet, aren’t afraid to have fun. Every day is like sitting down to watch bike racing with your mates, and chatting about it afterwards. I’m pretty much living my dream.

What I’m looking forward to

Getting home to see the family! I spend three-and-a-half weeks away from home at a time to cover the cycling Grand Tours, which is a long time to be away from the kids, in particular.
As much as I love my work, it’s a privilege to be so happy to get home again too.