Driving a Porsche GT3
Mondays get a bad rap. Inevitably, every Monday morning, we see images on different social media platforms talking about how terrible Mondays are. There's even that miserable Monday blues walrus emoji on Snapchat which I see being used all the time. Most of us really do dread Mondays since it’s the start of the work week, but it doesn't have to be so mundane and for me Monday has become my favourite day of the week...
It was 10AM and I had just wrapped up an early morning photoshoot and drive of a stunning Porsche 997 GT2 which is currently for sale at Road and Track Australia. Ross asked if I was able to hang around for a bit longer to capture some more photos at the work shop and next thing I knew, I was handed the keys to a Porsche GT3.
Another quick 'Is this real life?' moment. Here I was, standing in front of a stripped down, track-ready race car, about to not only photograph it but to take it for a drive, all on my own. I could not believe my luck nor could I wipe the huge smile off my face. Just moments earlier I had driven an immaculate GT2 and here I was about to drive a GT3. Not a bad way to spend your Monday right?
After chucking on some temporary trade plates on the rear of the car, I climbed in, placed my camera on the passenger seat, took a quick look around the cabin, made myself comfy and mentally prepared myself whilst I started up this green machine. I couldn't wait to hit the road.
With the car nice and warm, I attempted to put it into first and noticed immediately how clunky and different it was compared to the GT2 that I had driven just moments earlier. Since I had never driven a car with a short shifter, it took a while to get used to (I even managed to stall on top of a huge pedestrian speed bump, lol lucky no one was behind me!) but I was up for the challenge and I enjoyed learning how to drive the car all on my own.
As I drove down the street and brought the car up to cruising speed, I could instantly feel that this was a very different beast in contrast to the GT2. It wasn't as pleasant. This particular GT3 felt rough and raw and built purely for the track whilst the GT2 was luxurious and smooth to drive on the streets of Sydney.
With an allure of momentary relief from the scattered showers, I pulled up outside the massing solid structures at Sydney Olympic Park and climbed out of the GT3 to quickly take some photos. I had to pause for a moment as I admired the car that I had just driven. There is something so appealing about the curves of a Porsche up against some fine Architecture. If only the car was white!
BTW how neat is that 560SL. It was in such good condition for its age!
Halfway through taking the photos, the rain made a return so I ran to the car, hopped back into the low-mounted bucket seats, strapped myself in and headed back to the Road and Track HQ. With the window-wipers blasting and the rain becoming heavier it unfortunately meant that I couldn't give the car a hit to see what it had, but that didn't even matter. I was simply grateful to have the opportunity to drive it.
No matter how bad, busy or boring your Mondays may be, don't forget that you can change it!
If there is a repeated task that you hate doing, find ways to make it more enjoyable. Simply by changing your mindset and waking up with an attitude of gratitude, you will start to realise that the tasks you once hated doing, becomes less tedious. You can also make your day more pleasant by bolstering your positive outlook and giving someone else’s mood a little lift. Research in positive psychology shows that doing something unexpected and kind has benefits for you, as well as others. Try holding the door for someone, offer a colleague some tea or send a thank you e-mail. It's the little things that count and all of your actions that you make today pave the road for the future.
So if you dislike what you're doing and often complain when Monday comes around, change your outlook and do something today that will change your thoughts about Mondays, they don't have to be so mundane.
