For Grace Under Fire, Practice Makes Perfect
Posted by Jim Citrin on Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 12:00AM
"I was mentally weaker on the important points."
That's how tennis star Novak Djokovic summed up his loss to player Roger Federer, who overcame seven set points to win his 12th Grand Slam and become the first man in more than 80 years to capture four straight U.S. Open tennis titles.
Perhaps you're an investment professional confronting swirling equity and debt markets that are as daunting as the raucous nighttime crowds at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Or you might be a manager trying to keep your team together and your customers loyal as upstart competitors seem to appear out of nowhere.
Are you responding to the pressure like the cool, calm, and collected Federer, who delivers in the moment of truth? Or are you more like the talented but tortured Djokovic, whose emotions led him to tense up when it counted most?
Mental toughness is a learnable skill. With knowledge of how your mind and emotions work, deliberate practice in high-stakes situations, and focus and patience, you can develop this ability. When you do, you'll experience winning results and break through to a new level of performance and success.