2011 made me read, listen and meet a lot of people. People I’ve always admired for one reason or more. One of the most memorable ones include listening to Martina Navratilova, live at IBM Software Universe 2011, at Hotel Renaissance in Powai, Mumbai.
I grew up playing lawn tennis and it is the sport that I enjoyed the most. I’ve played it at various levels but this post isn’t about bragging. So I’ll let it be. 🙂
Here’s an abstract of what Martina said on motivation, goals, teams and people;
“Champions make things happen, they don’t rely on others.”
“You got to have goals and athletes know it the best. Remember to take one step at a time and that every single day counts.”
“Don’t be afraid to lead.”
Martina had to make changes in footwork after 26 years of playing, after she started to lose matches, starting with Steffe Graph. She had to *adapt*.
“Responsibility is important, so is determination.”
Martina Navratilova quoted her coach: “Everybody has a will to win, but very few have a will to prepare.”
“Everyone is unique – with talents & abilities.”
“Strive for excellence but not for perfection. Making mistakes is fine. Just don’t make too many of them.”
“Being good at your worst – the ability to bounce back using all the resources you have is the key to achieve your goals.”
“Don’t overdo it. Take care of yourself. Feel good about yourself.”
“Participate in some sports activity.”
“It’s OK to be nervous but what’s important is how you deal with it.”
“No business or individual reaches at the top without a great team.”
“Be an innovator, play to strength – mine was forehand.”
“No matter how fast the ball is coming to you, if you know where is it going, you’re good”.
“The beauty of sports is you don’t see religion or origin. It’s the person and his game that’s important.”