For me, tennis has always been my favourite sport and time and time again, the game has provided me with a lot of useful insights so I may excel at work.
Commitment
This is crucial in tennis. If you hesitate or do not commit fully to the shot that you are going to hit, you will always hit it out or towards the net. However, if you commit fully but your opponent still wins the point by playing a better shot then credit to your opponent, this shot is simply too good.
You may have many ideas on how to tackle a difficult task at work. If you select the solution but perform it half-heartedly then without doubt, you are going to fail miserably. If you give your all then you may still have a chance in solving it. Many people reach this point and only those who stay on course with full commitment will come out on top
Confidence
Tennis is all about confidence. When your opponent senses a moment of weakness from you through the shot you play or the ball you miss, they will exploit it fully because they know your confidence level may be at an all-time low. It will be game over before you know it.
Trust yourself, trust your strength! Whether it is developing new business or marketing a new product, if you have done your homework, you know you will succeed. However, success takes time and that is why confidence matters. You need to believe in yourself.
Condition
At tennis or at work, you have to know your body condition as well as the market condition. First of all, you have to keep yourself nice and healthy, make sure you eat well and rest well so your body is in good condition to generate the energy needed for the match or the brain juices for you to perform your tasks at work.
For market condition, just as you have to assess the weather conditions (e.g. wind, sun temperature) in tennis so you may adjust and change strategy if needed, you have to do the same at work with research and meetings to fully understand the targeted audience given the market condition. You will then decide whether to go ahead now or postpone the launch.
The Question is, are you willing to make that extra step?
