Pro tennis player Serena Williams defines the word “champion”. With an incredible 4 Olympic golds and 23 Grand Slam singles to date, she knows how to stay on top of her game no matter what. Here are 4 insights into how she does it.
Work hard for your moment
“Luck has nothing to do with it, I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” As effortless as Serena makes winning seem, the truth is that behind every victory lies tireless training and preparation. The only way to be on top of your game is to be prepared and chase excellence in your field. Whether you’re starting your own business or applying for a new position at work, your competition is working hard to achieve what you’re after- you need to not only match, but exceed that in your own efforts.
Learn from your losses
“I don’t like to lose – at anything… yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks. If winning is God’s reward, then losing is how he teaches us.” Failure can sting sometimes, but it’s an unavoidable part of life. What’s important is not to avoid failure, but to learn from it when it happens. Serena aims for victory, but even when she loses, she turns that setback into a learning opportunity and bounces back stronger than ever. If you still don’t believe that she’s been through many ups and downs along her career, learn more about her story in this article.
Visualize your wins
“I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.” In this quote, Serena shows that visualization is a part of her winning formula. Visualization is all about tapping into your imagination to create vivid pictures and feelings in your mind that represent your goals. Visualization has been used by many successful people, as a tool to help them manifest their success into reality. You can learn more about how visualization works in this article.
Push through the fear
“I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” Serena has been open about the fact that she’s not a fearless person. No matter how many wins you have under your belt, it’s still completely normal to have doubts when facing a challenge. How does she overcome it? She focuses on her drive to win instead. Fear will always be there- you just need to find ways to overcome it for yourself.
The next time you’re doubting your ability to win or you’ve had a setback, channel your inner Serena and remember her approach to staying on top of your game. When you get “out on the court” in your own life, go for gold.
