Sticking to Routine
A champion sticks to the routine even when they don’t want to.
How many times do you lose a match, a close one or a disastrous one and you want to go home immediately? You don’t want to get your money. You don’t want to stretch. You don’t want to hydrate. You don’t want to eat. You don’t even want to shower. You want to sit down with the same clothes hoping you can get that moment back. If only at 5-4 I could have closed. If only at 6-5 I could have hit some aces or return the best of my life.
Well, folks, I’m a living witness that you have to stick to routine no matter the outcome. After your match, you need to stretch. You need to hydrate. You certainly need to refuel and get your coins. You might not want to do it immediately, but at some point, you have to do it. If you quit mentally every time you lose a match, do you think you’re on your way to a champion mentality?
Being a champion means you do things even when you don’t want to. Tennis is a game where you have a winner and a loser. Don’t get me wrong when I lose a match I’m no loser, I learn. I refuse to call myself a loser after a loss. Not I. No ma'am and no sir. I believe words are powerful and I won’t use words unwisely.
Anyways back to my topic.
What you do after your competition is just as important as what you do before your match. If you can win mentally, you are already halfway there. What were your goals for this event? Did you stick to the plan, did you do your own thing? After the match did you analyze what you did right or wrong? What did you achieve during the competition?
There are so many factors to tennis before you can be angry at your game. Tennis is very humbling. I mean you could be up 5-0 40-15 and lose the entire match before your eyes. Life is not about winning and losing.
Unfortunately, this sport only allows the two to be present. Which one are you today? Which one do you choose to be tomorrow? Winning is addictive and makes you bigheaded. The big question is, how do you respond when you’re down?
