Interview With Layne Beachley
Hey. Guys good morning good afternoon good, evening and, good night and good night we're, here today with eight, times world, champion, surfer Layne. Beachley Lane. Has a professional, career spanning over 20, years and is regarded as one of Australia's top sports people and has been recognized, for her good citizenry, and contribution. To Australia, with, an Officer of the Order of Australia as. Well as riding a 50-foot. Wave that's. Big and. Winning. Six, consecutive world. Titles, that is HUGE, extra. Lane. Setup the aim for the stars foundation. Helping, girls and women reach their potential and achieve their dreams she's, always been a manly, local and we're coming to you this morning just around the corner from beautiful, freshwater beach on Sydney's, Northern Beaches to my office well. Thank you for having us. Recently. Sydney. Digital just designed a new brand for Lane and this week we also officially, launched Lane's new website Lane. Big4.com. Now. As you, know if you've watched my hustle before I'm big on self motivation and this year I'm focusing on my focus squirrel and, as I know as I know that's. An era I need to improve so who, better to give some tips absolutely. Who better to give you some tips, to. Us the one of the world's, most, focused, champion. Athletes, Ozzy Legend and all-round. Lovely, lady Layne, Beachley. Rolling. Lane, Ripa. Day I know you're busting, to, get out back, to work back to the office so. Let's get stuck into it okay I first, met you back in 92, in. Your bikini at, a, squid shop with your surfboard, just. Over there in, Manly, here we are 27, years later you're, still in your bikini still. Got a new surfboard you. Were affectionately, known as Gidget. And. I went overseas for a few years and I came back when. I arrived back Gidget was like a double world champion on, her way to obviously, you, know six seven eight world championship, yeah so, for the young kids out there on the road to sports excellence academic, excellence our excellence, in the arts for that matter what, advice would Layne, Beachley AO give. To get you well. Thank. You for joining me here at my office this morning Simon that's a pleasure best advice I can give anyone, aspiring, to become the best at what they can be its, first be really clear about what it is that you want to achieve you know I set a goal as an eight year old become a world champion it, was a rather ambiguous gold because years old yeah that years old but, I wanted to be a world champion everything, I was good at and so. That lack of clarity actually. Created, the squirrel mind the busy I'm. Gonna go that way no way like soccer no actually in a circle it's really good today and so it's getting taking. The time to get really clear on what it is that you want to achieve and, then surrounding yourself with people who can help you achieve it because when you have, the courage to set a goal it's, really, challenging to find the people who are as courageous as you and invested, in you to help you achieve it and, so growing up in man town or manly beaches you, know I affected it all at downtown I, was surrounded by people who told me that I was never going to be good enough to do it and, so I chose to surround myself with people who believed, in me more than I believed in myself and then, it came down to the actions that I took on a regular, basis consistent, basis that enabled me to get closer towards, my vision as opposed to further away from it that's. My model for success I like, it Thanks so I picked up goal-setting. Yep very important, to be absolutely, clear and where it is that you're headed and what it is you want to achieve yep, surrounding. Yourself with good, people and, that's that's, always a challenge I guess for kids as well because they might feel, good around people. But they're not all necessarily good. Before. Yeah giving fluency score and that's also a challenge for parents so I can be a great parent yeah but then once the the.
Circle. Of friends takes over it's out of your control so, goal-setting. Surrounding. Yourself with good people and, consistency, yeah consistent. Action consistent, action yeah and there's times when you fall off the wagon and you don't take action that's getting you closer towards it and that's okay as long as you don't beat yourself up for it but do long and, then jump back on and do the right thing the next day it's kind of like if athletes for example choose to have a really, big night drinking, or something, or they. Choose to eat the wrong foods knowing. That's going to hamper their performance, the following day then, enjoy, the fact that you're doing it but just don't do it repetitively yes, take, a week or two months off from it yeah and maybe go into there again and that again, it's another I, guess emotion that takes over papers they'll do something then the next day I feel, so guilty. Either. Either own it yeah enjoy it yeah let. It go. Yeah, so. I guess, a bit of a segue they obviously at the start of started. Out our life just now the house with us no we talked about my own challenge with focus yes I know it's a challenge. That's. A bit bright no I love it thank you thank, you along. The lines of my website that's this is true yes Jana black yeah, well, good you'll get to it what, do you wanted to do was talk about your website Oh. Lame, basically calm by the way, now. I know firsthand it's a challenge but. It's a universal, skill yes and like any skill it can be honed. With practice. Reading. The, buyer on your website new, talked about each, one of your championships was one for different reasons under, different circumstances we. Touched. A little bit on it just before but it's a process that. You, followed our practice that you would say can be for, somebody starting up for someone coming into 2019. A going like me yeah, all right I've got to sort my out I've got to sort out focus. In. Order to move forward. You. No more than an inch say over, the next 12 months, and. I know myself when when, you are focused you, you. Achieve results there's, no doubt about it. What. Would you say. Looking. Back through. Those Championships. Certain. The first few and then I guess the difference are in the first few in the last few. Did. You sacrifice it, did you have to sacrifice anything well, one. Of my coaches. Always, said. You know you're not making sacrifices. You're making commitments, because. I. Don't feel like I sacrificed, anything I chose to, not go out at night I chose not to start. Smoking because my friends were smoking I chose not to drink, regularly. Because it interrupted. My performance, or you, know it it. Held me back so all, of those choices were a commitment, to my athletic career so, I don't feel like I sacrificed anything even, though I headed off on to her when I was 17 years old and you know stayed on the road for many years and and I loved every minute of it but there was challenging, times there was moments when I wanted to quit focus. I think is a wonderful acronym, which stands for follow one course until successful, and the.
Thing Is that I noticed, that when I was a kid notes yeah follow. One course until stay successful swallow, one course until success, until successful. You okay. So. What. I did was I, recognized. That one of my major weaknesses. In my pursuit. Of becoming a world champion were distractions, right like you I was easily distracted it's like squirrel, anything, bright, light over there what am i computer is doing am, I writing the right equipment and it comes from fear, it comes from a lack of confidence it, comes from a lack of preparation and. Then it comes from a lack of direction or lack of clarity yeah and so, you've got to understand, what's driving that, fear and, for me I had. I, had determined that, I, had, a fear of success because. Of how I judged people who were success was that right yeah, most people go through life thinking they have a fear of failure yes, but I actually had a fear of success now what you feel you attract so I was very fortunate that I track with success but. What was holding me back from achieving success. Was, my judgment, of other people success yes your interpretation, your perspective, exactly and so the minute that I started. To think about well when I become successful I'm gonna be judged like that too and, I don't want to be judged like that so you've got to start thinking about what's the cost of it yes, what's the cost of your pursuit what's going to be the cost of your achievement, because, that may be stopping you as well that may be one of the unconscious. Distractions. That's, in going on in your lack of focus yes that's preventing, you from fully committing, to doing what you really want to do now, once you identified, what some of those fears were I had to write them down yeah you got to shine a light on your darkness so, then you stopped it from from, festering mm-hmm, and I used to have this little book a friend, of mine designed, this little book that I had in my day kit when I was at the beach competing, and it, had Lang's little book of distractions, and. All I had to write down what are the things that are distracting me right now yeah, and what do I need to focus my attention on right now and. It was the simple answer yeah, that's, it that's the simp that's pretty, simple that's awesome yeah. Solutions. With something today with with solutions, people and small simple. Steps that you can that you can take and, make talk towards success I. Know. You're busting to get out there I know we're we're. Indeed. So. Self-doubt. With which it's a bit of a good segue it's intercepted out this ad-libbing thing and sort of structure things working out quite well yeah let's talk about self-doubt okay again, on the FAQ on your website Layne Beachley calm you talk about self-doubt, growing up what. Advice do you give to young. Kids, of. All ages we know that anxiety has become I don't know whether it's it's, more prevalent or it's more talked about or it's more open but it's certainly a broader. Issue in society. What, advice you have for youngsters, and us older people, with facing, their self-doubt on top of the solution. You just gave us the simple solution just gave us self-doubt, is a normal part of life we all go through moments when we doubt ourselves even, the most famous most successful, people in the world doubt, some of the actions or the thoughts that they're having and and, sometimes they need people to give them outside of their own sphere to give them perspective on who they where, they're going and what they're doing yeah so it takes sometimes, it just takes time, sometimes, you just need, to gain perspective somehow. Yes. Self-doubt. Is. Is a normal, pattern because humans, are actually hardwired, to be negative and that's a survival mode mechanism, that we have, basically, inherited. From our ancestors back, in the under for fight-or-flight mode or flexing yeah so, when. You're encountering self-doubt. Once again you can't change what you can't see so if you're not believing in yourself or you're, thinking. Negatively, the internal, dialog will then end up being out. Pictured, in your behaviour and, so, if you can't tune, in to how you're thinking then, your. Behaviors, and your actions will actually be clearly, demonstrating.
How You're thinking about yourself yesterday, for example my dad who's, been feeling really unwell we've just brought him home from Hawaii 80 years old he's very energetic. And sprightly still gets up and runs the beach every morning at 5:00 a.m. you've. Said he was, walking around the house guy I've never felt so bloody old and so bloody useless in, my whole life and, so, I just had to say dad you're 80 years old you're, unwell, you haven't eaten for three days you've been really bad written and sick yeah give yourself a break yes so it's this negative, dialog that weighs us down and keeps us stuck yeah so if you're feeling stuck start tuning into how you're thinking and what you're saying to yourself because the relationship, that. You, have with yourself sets the tone for every, other relationship that you have right true and every, time we've, we've with quite a PO over the last year working on the, projects we've been working on you're, always upbeat I never I never spoken, to you I yeah, look my. Days you. Know having one of those days you always upbeat so it is. It's. Well, that's because I don't speak to you on the days I'm having. Because, quite honestly January, the first 10 days of January I was, in a real depressed funk right, I was really numb yeah, and no, matter what I did or where I went or what, I wrote down even I was gratitude journaling I was surfing I was doing all the things that usually bring me an immense amount of joy and happiness yeah and I was just numb and the, only thing that really helped me get through it was shining a light on it yeah talking to people who have earned the right, here in my struggle and, to share in my struggle such as my husband, yeah and feeling, it feeling, the disappointment, feeling the depression, feeling the pain feeling a suffering and it's important to share it's important yeah but you've got to find the people who earned the right to hear it yes okay, okay. Usually good life. Partners are pretty good yeah yeah. And. So, did. You like did you work out what it was in the end where you just sort of got he just got her oh just depressed, I was stuck so there was something that occurred at the end of the year in 2018. That triggered, a state of depression yeah, and I kept thinking about it yeah and so the more I thought about it the more I prolonged, the pain and suffering and then I became you. Know as human beings we just want to be validated, yes absolutely. Want to be told we want to feel loved Tobin, loved and I just feel good. And I guess be told that we're run yeah. We're okay but on top of that if, we're not feeling great then. We will validate ourselves. Yes by, finding, reasons, as to why we can't feel great yes and I, was constantly seeking evidence to, prove to myself and, to validate myself, that I'm numb and I'm depressed so even with all this all this experience, it's it's.
Worldly. Experience, and life experience, it's. Still that the mind is a powerful thing it's a really powerful tool that cannot be underestimated. Hmm. See. Someone baby excited. And that's what you gonna do hang out with people that are excited energy. Good energy good energy now. Flowing. On yes blowing up speaking of energy I guess are flowing, on to flow yeah over. The Christmas break for me I was doing some reading and one. Of the things that kept coming up some articles or some podcasts I'm talking. About flow as a state of mind, particularly. Amongst. Like a horsefly. I. Always. Get me. I've, been reading a lot of articles listen, to a few podcasts and flow seems to keep coming up and I thought wow if anybody I could ask about state. Of mind champion. Mindset, and the state of flow would, be yourself it's. Such an amazing. To find yourself really oh it's. So peaceful there's. No thought there's, no doubt there's, no second-guessing there's. Actually, just absolute. Silence and in our chattering, monkey, minds but, we all have between 50 to 70,000. Thoughts a day being. In the zone being, in a state of flow is effortlessness. And grace that's. Such a joyful place to find myself so I'm one many events in flow I can actually name all the events that I won when I was inside of really of course because I'm sorry I'm thinking I'm. Thinking in terms of your finals and your watch ampionships but there's you've done hundreds. Of events yes Anders, yes of course and you're always gonna be in that back that low well it flow happens right on the border of. Challenge. And, change. Like challenge, and opportunity and, so. You've. Got to be specifically. In, an environment, where you feel a little bit uncomfortable but. You know that you've got the opportunity to rise to it yes, so you it's so flow doesn't happen in states of comfort, and complacent, no no, creates. A state of joy, and effortlessness, and grace but it's it happens, right on that border of friction, and. That's, where you get the best out of yourself fantastic. It's a beautiful sky fantastic, butterfly can happen in any in a variety yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah but like said like just because it's always it's generally, applied to to, athlete the elite athlete just I thought a yeah I'd ask you, it's.
It's A state that yeah I, the. Thing with flow it also it requires you to trust mm-hmm. So you, can find like I I won an, event in Tahiti at Teahupoo in in 2001, and it's that wave scared, the out of me and I. Had, to win that event to get myself back to number one in the world so it was it, was do or die it was a must do but on top of that it. Was a big day I'd just broken my favourite board in the heat before that I'd suffered a few injuries throughout the week and so, when I paddled out into the final all of a sudden I just went into a state of flow and I just trusted it yes, and paddling. Into waves that I would normally either second-guess, or doubt or fear I just trusted, and I just awesome, I just went. Yes. And a lot of us control freaks like to be in the know all the time right so, it's, it's a real good lesson in trust and surrender yes. Love a trust surrender, and vulnerability, I haven't. Heard those words see it well I heard the word trust, but surrender and vulnerability, awesome. Okay, now. Fast, forward to today, mm. And I. Do. I think the difference between a good athlete and a great athlete is their ability to focus I, believe. That the difference between a good athlete and a great athlete, comes, down, to a whole lot more than their ability to focus but also to channel, their energy and, they do the things that matter, the. Great part is its prioritized, yet they prioritize, but they also do things that their competition, wouldn't do yeah, no they go above and beyond and. I think about someone like Roger. Federer yeah. There's. A lot of things that he does that, we don't know about but, he's that he's competitors, don't do yes and I think about what enabled me to win so, consistently. In Hawaiian, waters and, way that I did a lot of things in those waters that my competitors, wouldn't even consider like. I would body surf 10. To 12 foot Sunset Beach that, most competitors, would be skating yeah I would swim out there just like there's no goals no flippers, nothing I would just swim out there in, through the rip paddling. To the impact zone no, board just swimming yeah cop 10 foot 12 foot sets on the head wash me in and I'd go back around and do it again just to build up my comfort, yes. Great. Athletes, do things that they competitors, aren't willing to do great athletes are actually willing to bleed yeah. Thanks. They. Also focus, their attention thanks for your question yeah thank you for your question. So. You're doing now lots of work as a speaker, and and a, motivator, yes clearly. What. Are some of the stories you can tell us. From. Obviously. In speaking to the companies. Our corporate CEOs, the the. Team leaders the managers employees. Entrepreneurs. That. You.
Identify. Sort of any single pattern, or something. Amongst. Business, these, days and you go wow you know and spoke to another business today or another person today same, thing same thing same thing same thing what are those challenges and what. Is your advice from. A day-to-day basis, you know for. Us to work, through those and perhaps overcome, some of those well not to oversimplify, the whole thing but I feel that the the biggest crisis, that we're encountering, in, business. Today is leadership and quality, leadership and. Encouraging. CEOs, CFOs all, the leaders in this world to, determine, their leadership style and, if. They're not engaging with their employees, why not if their teams, aren't. Whole. Hardly invested, in the success of the business why not I think, leaders are so can. Be so stuff consumed, and so self-absorbed, that they're worried about whether they're doing the right job and, then, they forget that they requires. A team effort yes, and so if you've got leaders who are making decisions that's, right, that's based on what's right for them then, that's poor leadership yeah but if you have a leader that's making, decisions based on what's right for the pack then, that sympathetic leadership, and I think the biggest crisis, that we have in the world today is a lack of empathy across. Okay yeah I was gonna say are we talking just to Australia but you think globally yeah yeah definitely cuz everybody's, out there for themselves and people are just like so. Focused, I'm just trying to just all, that again back to that spiral flight sort of survival mode isn't it you know get, get to the top of the ladder and then, you hear about so many executives. See. How's it gets on top of the ladder and then go yeah. Where. Is everybody long, way down yeah, and where is where is everybody yeah. At what cost you know because I won 6 World titles, at the cost of, friendships. Health. And well-being yeah. I was over had the I was coined, as having the compassion of a tiger shark and I was on an absolute mission it was either if, you're with me great, if you're not get the yeah anyway because we're gonna eat you alive yeah. Everything. About, me was wrapped up in my success yeah, everything, about my sense of self my sense of identity, my sense of self-worth yes, was wrapped up in becoming a 6 x consecutive. Everything. About that we'd have to well, not you don't really, know and. That was the mistake that I made I became an at all cost leader yes, and that cost me a lot yeah so coming back to win my seventh and eight world titles which. I applied a completely, different mentality yeah, and decided. That I didn't, need to be that way anymore yeah, I can be a more conscious leader, I can be a more empathetic leader I can be a more inclusive leader, and. Learning. Those skills requires. Once again a lot of trust and surrender and visibility yeah yeah yeah except, you can try a different way and change yeah and a lot of people you know don't like change you know a. Lot of people. But. It's true a lot of people just they just want to go through the motions every day they're happy with a routine and that, they, don't want to go into that dark place perhaps. Yeah and I think that is that's a huge challenge no, matter what level. You're at as you, know within, a company or business or all life a lot of people just don't want to go into a dark place it's locked away yeah that's. Who I am. Yeah. I'm validating, my actions here. So. I. Think. I've almost run out run out a question and this is anymore from. Up. From, the team I know that there was one one. Last one obviously so.
Mentor. Coach, you do board meetings now which is a great fantastic. Parn in all sense of the words where. You're you're. Mentoring you're, taking, people. Out. Of their comfort zones and teamwork I believe there's a surf lesson, involved. In there to come to my office as well yeah. In. That as well all the details obviously on your. Shiny, brand-new, brand-new, website anything, I. Think. The last question, from. Benny up in kazarina. Unless you've got any more over there no. One said you know. What. Have we got. Do. I feel that focus can get in the way of flow I actually think focus gets you into flow because. When you're truly committed to what you want to achieve the universe, actually, supports, you in that yeah, and presents you with the opportunity. So, once, you've. Propelled. Yourself, and worked yourself, into. The situation, where it's now a matter of achieving. What you want to achieve, then. It's a matter of getting out of your own way it requires focus to get ourselves to that point we've got to continue to follow that one course until we choose success and the thing is is that distractions. Will come in to test our resolve. Every. Time every day well, that looks good what about yeah. And. You've got to remain open but you've also got to trust your own instincts, and trust your own intuition. In. Saying that though I, was, listening to a meditation, swirl, yes I. Was just thinking I was listening to a meditation this morning and back in 1961. January. 31st was, was, turned backwards, day and. So. It made me think about a Seinfeld episode, called, opposites, when, George Costanza they ever underachieving. George Costanza decides. To do everything, in his life in, the opposite of what he normally do yeah so he goes on a date with a really attractive woman, and that basically tells her I'm unemployed I live with my parents and, she finds his candor quite appealing so they end up staying together and then he's next, job, interview he, rudely. Insults, his his his. Employer, and he gets the job so. Sometimes. Going against. What you would match, helps. You change your perspective and enables. You to come up with different solutions, so. Good. Advice good advice yeah yeah yeah and something to bit to be a bit playful with as well it's not it's not like the be-all and end-all it's not like, yeah. It's not you just have some fun with it and see how it goes and then get filled up that confidence and go if that wasn't as bad the outcome wasn't as bad as I expected. I've. Got more I've got more in me and in small steps like your advice with with with the journal with my distraction journal yes and that one as well I like that one yeah and the idea around you know when you asked me what advice would I give my my, younger self lighten. Up yeah. Yeah. Yeah yeah yeah it. Doesn't have to be hard yep when, I asked my audiences, please raise your hand if you believe success, has to be difficult it has to be hard majority. Of the people will own that which, is valuable yeah you can't change what you can't see you go to own your stuff yeah yeah, if you believe success has to be hard then you will make it so and I certainly did yeah I made it a lot harder than it really need to be hindsight. Hindsight. Last. Question then I think from from Bennion kazarina. You, and Steph. Your. Pipeline. It's. Neck-and-neck what's, going through your mind my. Well, it depends how much time's left on the clock right. And. Who's in the lead yeah, yeah. This strategy, involved here and Steph, taught me this actually competing yes because I only have a better once in the many years that I competed against her so she definitely has my number yeah is. To. Get. The, best wave of the heat surf. It to the best of my ability paddle. Back out get priority, and sit on a. Rain. Beach Li, AO. Eight, times, world, champion, Ozzy, legend, an all-round, lovely. Person, thanks Anne thank you so much welcome, namaste namaste.
Can I go surfing now you can go surfing now thanks everybody for watching thanks for watching all right bye bye.
2019-02-05 20:03
