Interview with James Eastwood for Capgemini Talent Magazine

This article first appeared in Capgemini Business Services internal news and Talent site. It is re-published with kind permission.

(1) Hi James, where did your journey begin?

I was working harder and longer to try and keep pace, but no matter how many hours I put in, it was not enough. Like many people in today’s modern world, I felt to be either falling behind or chasing that next thing. I didn’t have enough time for the important things in life – including my health, family and friends. Life was passing by too fast and I was burning out, unable to do anything about it.

The breakthrough came when I began to think like a runner in daily life. I had always enjoyed the physical side of running, but this was the first time I had used my powerful runner’s mindset as an attitude and approach to everyday life! The results were incredible.

(2) How does a runner’s mindset help?

I realized that happiness is not determined by our achievements, but rather our experience of life. As human beings, we feel happy and satisfied when we: enjoy each day, possess a sense of purpose, feel energized, experience a sense of control, feel free and can perform at our best without burning out.

Our runner’s brain is hardwired to help us experience all these things when we run, so it is logical that thinking like a runner will provide similar experiences, if we apply that mindset during our daily lives.

(3) How does thinking like a runner help in your role at Capgemini?

Running long distances and running a sustainable, profitable business have many parallels. For example, to succeed in either, the secret is to achieve higher levels of performance from less effort. A runner’s mindset helps achieve this by creating the environment for all individuals in a team to enjoy their work, understand their purpose, feel free and empowered (to do the right thing) and perform at their peak while having time to find creative solutions to problems.

Most importantly, a runner’s mindset helps to future proof that level of performance, so we can repeat it day after day. This means taking a long-term view (like a distance runner) and not always focusing on short-term financial results. A runner’s mindset helps me to set things up in a way which is sustainable – helping everyone to feel satisfied and motivated day after day.

Thank you James!

So, if you are tired with the fast pace of modern life, tired of working hard and not feeling satisfied, if you want to achieve more in life with less effort – this is a book for you.