I am addicted to the Winter Olympics coverage. I am staying up way past my bedtime on a regular basis, cheering for the athletes as if I know them personally. It’s getting a bit out of hand. Thank goodness that the Olympic Games (winter or summer) only run for a handful of days every two years.
I just watched Apolo Ohno skate for the trials of the 1000 meter on the speed skating short track. He stayed in 3rd place for a good amount of time in his heat, and then made his move along the inside of the track to secure a first place finish. The commentator remarked that Ohno only pushed as much as he needed to so that he was assured a spot in the final race. “Remember,” the commentator said, “he’s got a relay leg to do tonight.”
Pacing. It’s all about the pacing. Doing what you have to do to get where you need to be. It’s a concept I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s easy to wear ourselves out in the pursuit of perfection. Luckily we rarely, if ever, need to be perfect. Follow Apolo Ohno. Know what you need to do in the moment and get it done.
The photo above depicts Apolo Ohno at the head of the pack. It was taken by Wolfgang Rattay of REUTERS.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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I am addicted to the Winter Olympics coverage. I am staying up way past my bedtime on a regular basis, cheering for the athletes as if I know them personally. It’s getting a bit out of hand. Thank goodness that the Olympic Games (winter or summer) only run for a handful of days every two years.
Christa Avampato 
Ah Christa what wonderful advice and an image to attach to the wisdom, the gliding, grace, power and movement – doing what you have to do. Now that’s perfection.
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Hi Beth,
I love that image, too. Watching him skate with such power and grace is really something to behold.
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Hi Christa:
Great post, as usual, and thank you. One caveat, though…
I think as human beings we can’t be perfect, ever, but we can shoot for excellence. And maybe even achieve it.
We are flawed as human beings: we all have our limitations. And we have our strengths as well.
Nobody’s perfect. However, eccentricity is the real wealth of human beings and a resource we must tap into.
Woody Allen, for example, makes me laugh out loud because he is a true eccentric–what a funny guy and quite brilliant. Allen’s neurotic behavior reflects his uniqueness.
The only perfect people I know are robots and machines, and even those things suffer from nervous breakdowns, sometimes. Just a while ago, this computer crashed too.
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Hi Archan,
Oh yes excellence is always possible. Look at Lindsay Vonn’s performance last night. The commentator said she had made some small errors but her skills allowed her to over come those small errors, keep going, and win gold. I love Woody Allen too – great example of how our own quirks should be celebrated!
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Somehow, methinks Apolo is all about the pursuit of perfection and not about life in balance. But that’s just my opinion.
Then again, I wouldn’t exactly know about a life in balance as mine is currently careening out of control…!
Kristin
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