These 10 lessons from the world of tennis will help you in your business.
Game, set and match for inspiration 🎾
I love watching sports documentaries on Netflix.
Formula 1: loved
Tour de France: devoured
Tennis: monumental slap in the face.
I never expected to find so much in common with entrepreneurship.
Here are the 10 lessons that will help you on your entrepreneurial adventure.
Hello, I'm Anne Bezon, writer and writing coach. My mission with this newsletter is to inspire and encourage you to write the life that's right for you, without worrying about society's diktats.
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1/ Don't be your own worst enemy
In tennis, the player's most formidable opponent is often not the person on the other side of the court, behind the net. No. Her toughest opponent is pernicious. She knows how to make her lose her nerve, how to make her doubt. She whispers scathing phrases in her ear: "you're useless", "you don't know how to play tennis", "you should give up". That opponent is herself. Tennis is a sport that puts the mind to the test (more on that below) and tests self-confidence.
The same applies to entrepreneurship. We often tend to believe that our competitors are the ones to beat, whereas most of the time it's our own limiting beliefs that we need to get rid of in order to move forward.
2/ Nothing's lost until you lose
Match ball. This is it. The match is over. The match is over. Unless... but yes! The player has managed to turn the tables and win the match! It's a situation that happens very often in tennis.
And in entrepreneurship it's the same thing. You try things... but they don't always work out the first time. If we give up, if we say to ourselves that it's over, we risk regretting it because have we really tried everything? Is it really over?
3/ More defeats than victories
This is one of the things that struck me most about the Netflix documentary Break Point: all the players agree that in tennis, you spend 90% of your time losing! In a Grand Slam tournament, out of the 128 players entered at the start, only 1 man will win at the end of the 2 weeks of competition (the same goes for the women). So the probability of losing is much higher than that of winning! The key is to accept defeat and turn it into a lesson to learn and progress.
The same applies to entrepreneurship! The aim is to test things, create content and sell new products. Some will work, others won't, and that's OK. You have to accept that this is part of the game.
4/ It's all in the mindset
When I became an entrepreneur, I invested a lot of money in creating my website and in training courses to master Instagram and Pinterest. And I got it all wrong! The first investment I should have made was in myself, and more specifically in my mindset. Entrepreneurship without mental preparation is like climbing Everest in flip-flops.
All top-level tennis players have a professional to help them strengthen their mindset (shrink, coach, mental trainer, etc.). And I'm convinced that it should be compulsory for female entrepreneurs too.
5/ You have to look after your mental health as well as your physical health
Whether you're involved in top-level sport or in entrepreneurship, your health is put to the test. Mental health first of all. As we've just mentioned, you need to take care of your mindset, which plays a major role. Taking regular breaks, stepping back and refocusing on yourself are essential if you want to perform over the long term. But you mustn't neglect your physical health.
Sportswomen have an impeccable lifestyle. Without going to extremes, an entrepreneur needs to take care of her body by moving regularly, getting enough oxygen and eating a balanced diet.
6/ Talent without hard work is useless
Some players have gold at the end of their racket. They are born talents. Geniuses with the forehand. Maestros of the yellow ball. But here's the thing. They rely on their talent and don't work hard enough. The result? They don't get the results they're looking for, and get passed by less talented but harder-working players.
Some entrepreneurs will have more talent for sensing and anticipating trends, for surrounding themselves with the right people, for writing viral posts. That's fine. But without putting in a minimum amount of work, they won't last.
7/ You're alone... so you need to surround yourself with people
Tennis is an individual sport in 90% of cases. On the court, you're alone against your opponent. In entrepreneurship, this is often the case too, at least in the beginning. So there are many challenges. You have to wear all the hats (accountant, closer, community manager...), you have to make decisions on your own, you have to create the content... It's vital to surround yourself with the right people!
All the players have a staff at their disposal almost 24 hours a day. They need day-to-day support (moral or professional) to help them cope with the pressure. Every entrepreneur also needs to surround himself, whether it's with freelancers to whom he can delegate certain tasks, but also, and above all, with people he can trust when things get too heavy.
8/ You perform better if you enjoy yourself
"It's over, I give up." How many times could I have uttered those words about my business? And I was very surprised to hear the players repeat this phrase over and over again... before returning to the pitch. What makes them want to come back? Reconnecting with the pleasure of the game. Because let's not forget that sport is fundamentally a game.
When it comes to entrepreneurship, when you get fed up, you have to go back to the fun part. Take social networking, for example: it can quickly become toxic. When that's the case, you have to try and get back to enjoying yourself. By only going on the network you feel good on or by only talking about what gives you pleasure. You can stop following accounts that are depressing you or put them on mute for a while. In short, refocus on what's important and think about why you're doing all this.
9/ Building your own brand
Some tennis players remain just that, tennis players. Others become super stars. The difference isn't just down to results. It's about building your personal brand. Work on your personal brand. What makes you unique? What are your strengths? What do people say about you? Be careful: personal branding doesn't mean showing off (although it does help). Be authentic and people will follow you.
10/ Controlling your emotions
The demanding nature of tennis requires excellence in competition. This inevitably comes with an emotional rollercoaster. To excel in tennis and at the head of a business, you need to develop and grow your character to cope with adversity. Learning to control your emotions rather than letting them control you will allow you to reserve your energy for other important tasks.
Which lesson will you keep?
My favourites ❤️️
🌟A perfect book for summer: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods: the perfect combo of mystery and romance. A fluid and very enjoyable book, set against the backdrop of a literary mystery with strong female characters. What more could you ask for!
🌟Music that makes me happy and makes me want to shake my booty: Boyfriend by Confidence Man
🌟A newsletter : Follow your gut by Elin Petronella for all the creative souls out there.