What Jonny Wilkinson Said About Survival Mode

Last week I met Jonny Wilkinson at an event run by The Leaders’ Council. Below is my account of it, abridged and sectioned for your convenience.

Context

It was at the House of Lords on a drizzly summer’s evening which held its warmth even if the clouds couldn’t keep their end of the bargain. Given that, I decided to go blazer-less (an important detail, you’ll see). I arrived astounded by the grandness of the Palace of Westminster’s interior, inspecting every signposted tile and tapestry. This historic arena reeked significance, and I felt a twinge of shame when I thought about its current members passing through it without the grace or sincerity to match. I digressed then as I’ve done now…

The story continues.

What Happened

Eventually, I joined the lengthy queue that idled in the hallway waiting to see Wilkinson. As we shuffled along, David Blunkett was giving a speech in a side room, the content of which I couldn’t quite gather until my curiosity took me away from the queue and towards the former Home Secretary.

I caught a few words and decided to rejoin the line, but not before grabbing a glass of red wine to lubricate my patience.

Time ticked by and I made conversation with my neighbours-in-waiting. I was a step away from the front, and I was about to be announced on entry by the speaker. My fingers slipped and the claret went over my blazer-less body. All my sense of esteem and pomp immediately went out of the window.

My name was announced, I walked towards the man of the hour. We shook hands and I earnestly (alright, maybe with a bit of sycophantism) told him he hadn’t aged a day. There I was, clutching a glass of red wine, half of which had spilled on my shirt and cuffs, addressing the man who held his nerve when the world was watching all those years ago. I clutched the paper program over my shirt to disguise my accident.

“You look like you’re still in 2003”, I told him.

He stepped back and wore a relieved smile, as if the previous 100+ people who he had just met, hadn’t spoken to him like a normal person.

“That’s the best thing anyone’s said to me this evening, didn’t expect that!” he said.

I was soon ushered away and a less obtuse guest took my place.

The Takeaways

Later, Jonny spoke to the whole room, and this is what he said or at least, these are the highlights that I recall:

• He’s more productive when he’s not in survival mode
• He prioritises relaxation to avoid survival mode
• Survival mode is an instinctive feeling of discomfort that makes one anxious to take action even if it’s not productive
• He thinks doing the washing up is just as hard as playing international rugby
• If you approach a situation anticipating being in survival mode, you’re already making the upcoming incident a difficult one
• If you approach a situation in a ‘Creator Mode’ you can create a positive occurrence

It was novel, if not interesting. I think I speak for most people when I say that I am naturally inclined to do more when things aren’t going well, and guilt drives me to fill any respite with busyness. So to hear a contrary philosophy was refreshing.

See below my photo, with wine spillage airbrushed out.