As a recruiter, I quite often go on about the importance of Winning Edges for recruiting – but have we ever thought about the importance of identifying these Winning Edges in our everyday lives?
2 weeks ago, out of the blue I – a fit and healthy 52 year old man – suffered a heart attack.
Firstly, I’d like to thank the fantastic paramedics and staff at the Basingstoke & North Hants Hospital who saved my life. Their amazing work is the reason I’m still here today and was able to return home safely a couple days later.
But as a recruiter, who is always trying to learn, I asked myself – ‘what can I take away from this?’. Winning Edges are all about the smaller details that make a big difference, and my heart attack has certainly helped me identify a few Winning Edges of my own. I probably work a bit too hard, I am a bit too heavy, I exercise, but could do a bit more, I eat a bit too much salt, a bit too much saturated fats, and drink a bit more than I should. My blood pressure is a bit high, and I have a bit of family history of heart problems. Get the idea? In isolation each of these factors probably don’t matter too much, but collectively they can have a big impact.
So to conclude, while I’m careful not to criticise myself too much here, there’s certainly more that I could do to improve my health and this experience has taught me that prioritising my wellbeing is a Winning Edge must for life.
What are your Winning Edges for life?
Jim Atkins