A few weeks ago, we watched our colleague Jack Hulme debut in his first boxing match, a white-collar event in aid of charity. He had been preparing for this fight for months, truly dedicated he took his training seriously. He had a plan, and during the fight he stuck to it. With his strategy and the excitement of the arena, Jack brought home the victory.
We all create plans in our personal lives and in business, but when put under pressure it can be difficult to keep a clear head, stay focused and execute that plan. Jack explains how he kept a cool head during extreme stress and came out on top with the victory.
Understanding the competition
“A champion is someone who gets up when can’t” ~ Jack Dempsey
Just like in business you need to understand your competitors and be knowledgeable of their strengths and weaknesses. Jack discusses how he researched his competitor to give him the advantage?
JH: I was lucky that my opponent was part of the same gym and camp as me, so I studied him closely during his training and sparring to spot weaknesses and develop a strategy and game plan to exploit those weaknesses on fight night. This was then worked on meticulously in the build up with my coach, this allowed for muscle memory to take over during the fight which meant I could focus on other elements of my performance.
Managing your adrenaline
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” ~ Muhammad Ali
When you get an adrenaline rush it’s often called “fight-or-flight” response and happens when you feel a threat. Obviously, boxing is a physical sport and the name of the game is to fight, how did you control your adrenaline in such a high stress environment?
JH: It sounds simple but just breathe, when the adrenaline starts to kick-in you can feel your heart speed up and your blood pumping faster round your body. I took three deep breathes which helped regulate this and kept me in control and implement my plan, the last thing you can afford to do is lose your head and explode into the fight as you won’t last the three rounds.
Confidence and believing in yourself
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’.” ~ Muhammad Ali
Having confidence in any situation, whether its business or a sporting activity will always give you an advantage, how did you prepare and how did you find the confidence to get in the ring?
JH: The confidence was breed from preparation, I knew that I was getting into the ring in the best shape I could have been, I had been in the gym 5-6 times a week for 3 months, I was sticking to a strict nutritional plan and I also I believed I wanted to win more than my opponent. In truth, I didn’t see any result expect a win and that self-belief took away any fear I had about stepping into the squared circle.
Understanding and keeping to the plan
“In boxing you create a strategy to beat each new opponent, it’s just like chess.” ~ Lennox Lewis
Having a strategy plan in business, life and sport is vital to success. But keeping to your strategy and implementing can sometimes be the hardest part. Jack tells us how he kept to his plan while under extreme pressure.
JH: Firstly, I had a clear plan on how I would approach each round before stepping in which both myself and corner man were extremely focused on implementing. Secondly, having the support around me (my corner man) to make sure that when I deviated from our strategy I was pulled straight back on to it in no uncertain terms. It is almost impossible to stay on the correct path when only you are looking at it, having other people and eyes surrounding you to correct when necessary in vitally important.
Having the right team
“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” ~ Jack Dempsey
Having the right team in your corner is important in ensuring individual success, and statistics show that 75% of employers rate team work and collaboration as very important to overall success. How did you ensure you had the right people on your support network?
JH: I have touched on this in a few of my other points, the reason for this is, I can’t stress how important it is to have an individual or team around you who know what they are talking about, are pulling in the same direction and ultimately have the same objective as you. My corner man is experienced in both Ju Jitsu and Boxing and has been involved in boxing events previously, his experience in managing yourself in the build-up, training and the fight itself. I can safely say I would not have come out the other side with the win if it was not for the work I did with him in the build-up and during the fight.
With hard work and dedication, Jack won his debut boxing fight. He showed creating a plan and executing your strategy, working with a team and having confidence to see the challenge through to the end, you can achieve almost anything!
Thank you to Jack Hulme, Inside Sales Representative at Condeco for his contribution to this article.
Images courtesy: BOXSTAR WCB
