Thank you for the kind words and great reply, Luis (I enjoyed your Medium profile too!)

I recently did a deep dive into my own performance process — what were the steps that always seems to work best for when I was performing at my best. The experience I broke down the most was our 1992 Olympic canoeing race and the years that led up to that race which resulted in winning this event.

For me, the first step I always came back to was what I call “Technique First,” which means to always start with a desire to learn. Ignite that desire to learn before you set big goals and before you set a “powerful why.” If you get hooked into the learning part, other pieces begin to fall into place much more naturally.

Then, over time, you get better at learning — you ask better questions, you start to take more ownership in the learning process (innovate,) and slowly you find bigger situations in which to test your ideas (experiment,) The learning cycle becomes the progress.

Glad to read your words tonight, Luis!