How are you doing?
No, really—how are you doing?
Pause for a moment. Take a breath.
Think about what’s good, what’s not. What’s been weighing on your mind? What’s been lifting you up?
What are you thinking most about—and why?
If you’ve already begun to reflect, great. That’s exactly where I want to take you.
We hear the question “How are you?” all the time. It’s a common greeting. And most of the time, it’s just that—a formality. We toss it out with a smile, and the reply is just as quick: “Good, good. You?”
But what if we paused a moment longer?
What if we asked it with intention?
What if we used that question—not just as a greeting, but as a gateway to presence?
Start With Yourself
Imagine beginning your day with that same question—not for others, but for yourself.
“How am I doing?”
That simple check-in can shift everything. It builds self-awareness. It helps you separate noise from clarity—home from work, stress from purpose.
It helps you architect your day rather than just react to it.
A Coach’s Warm-Up
As a cycling coach, I’ve long understood the importance of warming up before physical activity. It prepares the body, yes—but it also sharpens focus. It helps the athlete enter the session with clarity and intention.
Over time, I’ve realised this principle isn’t limited to sport.
A mental warm-up can be just as powerful. It brings awareness to what we’re about to do. Whether it’s a ride, a meeting, or a full workday—checking in with ourselves helps us begin with presence.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal once said he aimed to learn something from every training session. Not every day has to be big, but every day can be intentional.
Your Everyday Warm-Up
So what if we carried this mindset into daily life?
What if we started each meeting with a breath instead of a rush?
What if we treated every morning as a moment to check in, realign, and reset?
Design your own warm-up.
It might be a question, a pause, a quick note to yourself.
But let it bring you back to the moment.
And tomorrow morning—before the emails, the meetings, the messages—try asking yourself:
“How am I doing?”
You might be surprised by the answer.