🏎️ The Corner Comes Fast: 5 Musts for Staying at the Top of Your Game
Business at the top feels like a race at 200mph.
You don’t wear a helmet or hear the roar of engines but the pressure is just as real.
One board meeting.
One decision.
One corner taken wrong… and five years of work can be spun off the track.
At 3:48am, the voice isn’t talking about strategy.
It’s saying:
“Don’t f** it up… again.”*
So how do you stay in control when the corner comes fast?
Formula 1 drivers face this every race. And their mental toolkit is one CEOs and founders can borrow directly from.
🏁 The 5 Musts of F1 Performance
1. Visualise the race before it starts
Champions rehearse the circuit in simulators until every move feels inevitable.
2. Prime self-talk cues
They don’t let the mind run wild. They load tiny mantras “breathe,” “game on,” “smooth exit.”
3. Reset after the unexpected
Rain, crashes, pit stops, competitors. They know kick-outs happen, and they reset instantly.
4. Shift focus without losing it
40 laps in, they vary attention between car, track, comms. It’s not distraction; it’s stamina.
5. Protect recharge
Races are won not only on track but in the recovery phase. No recharge = no edge.
🏎️ The 5 Musts of Business Performance
If you’re a founder or CEO, your race is different, but the same rules apply.
1. Run the Simulator
Don’t wait until the boardroom, pitch, or negotiation to figure it out. Rehearse the corner before it arrives.
2. Prime Your Pit Wall
Your inner voice will speak whether you like it or not. Train it. Replace sabotage with strategy.
3. Reset at Kick-Outs
Markets, competitors, and boards throw surprises. Winners reset in seconds.
4. Sustain Focus with Variability
Move between detail and big picture. Shift lenses deliberately, not randomly.
5. Protect Active Time Out
You wouldn’t run an engine without pit stops. Don’t run your business without recovery.
🔑 The Alchemists’ Frame
This is where The Alchemists has always lived:
Active Time Out → recharge as performance infrastructure.
High Performance → simulator mindset, preparation made visible.
Safe Space → the pit wall, inside and out.
Collaboration → sustaining focus through multiple perspectives.
Or simply:
The Simulator. The Pit Wall. The Reset. The Recharge.
This is how champions sustain their edge.
This is how founders move from “Don’t f** it up”* to “Game on.”
The Invitation
If you’re carrying the pressure
If you’re wide awake at 3:48am hearing the engine in your head, Don’t run the next lap alone.
The Alchemists is your Simulator. Your Pit Wall. Your Recharge.
Because your race is business. And every corner counts.