In this episode, Tom Rees joins me, and we talk about significant career shifts. Tom is a medical doctor with the NHS and before that was a professional rugby player, playing for both London Wasps and England. Tom shares how he got started with the sport and ended up as a professional rugby player and goes on to talk about how an injury ended his sports career, how he dealt with it, and how he moved on to a new career.

Key Takeaways

• Luck sometimes plays a part in success but working hard, brings that luck
• Success is not an overnight thing. Small achievements, wins, and skills snowball and bring more success
• Having someone not making you do anything, but encouraging you to try everything is important. This could be a parent, a coach, or a mentor 
• Take ownership of what is going on with your job or career
• It is the hard work away from the pitch that leads to success
• Expose yourself to those who are more skilled or experienced and learn from them
• Get comfortable making mistakes and pushing beyond where you think your limits are
• Take in advice from other people and use the bits that work for you
• You don't need to make a massive impact on the world, just improve a little bit of the world around you
• Don't define yourself by your job
• Lean on friends, family and colleagues during tough times
• Understand that things that have made you successful to this point and then apply to other areas
• Listen to the episode for more gems of wisdom!

Recommended Reading

Tom recommended the following books:

• Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed
• Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande
• The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
• Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

Find Out More About Tom

You can find out more about Tom by visiting his Wikipedia page. See Tom in action here and here.