Swaying Skyscrapers

Win More, Live Better Podcast

For those interested in my podcast, below are the latest episodes from the past week!

Guest Interview: 

Dr. Paul Zak (The Neuroscience of Trust, Social Connection, and Emotional Fitness)

Solo Episodes:

• The Tonnage Principle: Jerry Seinfeld’s Two-Word Advice for Mastery (7 min)

• Know Their Normal: The Leadership Skill of Noticing What’s Off (7 min)

• The Cost of Being All In (11 min)

Swaying Skyscrapers

Over the course of my career, I’ve noticed that many of the top performers are able to simultaneously balance two key qualities: Discipline and adaptability.

From a preparation standpoint, they develop solid routines and habits that give them a solid foundation to rely on. But when the conditions change and the game challenges them, they don’t break. They’re elite at making adjustments.

This combination of strength and adaptability might seem like a contradiction, but engineers have known for a long time that the two actually go hand in hand. In fact, engineers design skyscrapers around this exact principle.

At street level, skyscrapers look rigid and immovable. Their foundations are anchored into the ground with reinforced steel and pilings that extend deep into bedrock.

But at the top you’ll notice something different. They sway.

In strong winds or changing environmental conditions, the upper floors of a tall building can move several feet. Engineers actually deliberately design for this. In fact, many modern towers are built with systems specifically designed to absorb and redistribute those forces acting on the building.

If a massive building tried to resist every gust of wind with brute strength alone, the pressure would eventually fracture the structure. Instead, skyscrapers survive by pairing a strong foundation with the ability to flex when conditions demand it.

Their strength is in their foundation. Their survival is in their ability to flex and sway.

When Routines Become Requirements

In sport and performance, routines are incredibly valuable. Your preparation is foundational to your success and gives you a sense of stability to lean on in competition.

But there can be a subtle trap for performers if they become too rigid with these routines and habits. What might start with a helpful routine can slowly turn into dependency.

I worked with a Major League pitcher who had developed a breathwork and meditation practice that became a central part of his preparation. It helped him regulate his emotions, slow the game down, and compete with a clearer mind.

But during the middle of the season, he would intentionally take a 1-2 week break from the practice.

He still believed in it and valued it in his preparation, but he didn’t want to become dependent on it. He wanted to make sure that the foundation of his performance wasn’t a set routine, a drill, or a mental exercise. The foundation had to be the trust he had in himself.

When routines become requirements, adaptability shrinks.

Train Your Ability to Sway

The lesson here isn’t to abandon your routines. Foundations matter. Preparation matters. The habits that anchor your performance are often what allow you to compete with confidence.

But effective preparation also includes creating moments in your preparation where you practice adapting.

If your preparation only works when conditions are perfect, it hasn’t fully prepared you for competition.

A reflection question for the week:

Where in my preparation can I intentionally create space to practice adaptability?

Final Thoughts

Skyscrapers don’t survive strong winds because they resist them. They survive because they’re built to move with them.

The best preparation doesn’t create dependency on a routine. It builds trust in the person executing it.