NORTHERN PLANNER

Prince is amazing live, He just fills the room, completely mesmerising. And yet, offstage he’s incedidibly shy. He only comes to life when he’s playing music. I can identify with that. Not the stupendous talent by the way, but only being able to be confident through what you do.

I remember swimming being like that as a child. I was shy, wonky and clumsy back then (back then? Still am!) but in the pool suddenly everything clicked into place. That’s what so great about sport for the athlete. Winning’s great of course, but that’s nothing next to the feeling of power flowing through your body, the sheer joy of feeling like there’s no end to what you can do.

Suddenly you’re untouchable, immortal, there’s so much ability fighting to get out that if you don’t use it you’ll explode.

It’s a big like Asterix drinking Getafix’s secret potion.

And when you’re done, you’re back into the real world – Superman is back to Clark Kent.

That’s what planning feels like to me sometimes. I like the fact that you never stop learning in this job, but I know what I’m talking about. I love talking thinking and talking about strategy it excites me, I think that great thinking is beatiful.

It scares me to the marrow to do presentations, just like I used to quiver before a race. But once it starts, I love it, and since people can see that love coming out, it usually goes OK – even if I spill the odd drop of tea along the way.

So I’m going to post about planning still, but I’m going to do more on sport too. These are the two places I get to feel a bit more like Spidey and a little less like Peter Parker.