Trust your teammates

It is okay to have a preference when it comes to either working alone or with a group. From watching both individual and team sports, it’s interesting to see the different aspects leading to the same goal. In singles tennis for example, the main challenge is the opponent on the other side of the net. Here, individual performance has a bigger effect on the result in comparison to a team sport. Some of the challenges in a group include learning to work together and trusting your teammates. Teammates have different abilities, and sometimes relying on an individual’s ability leads a team to victory through moments of brilliance. However, what I have learned from sports is it isn’t always sustainable, and causes disappointment sooner or later. Even in individual sports, there is usually a coaching team the player trusts to help them succeed. This trust goes a long way.

Don’t lose yourself

We all have human emotions, and sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves. Oscar De La Hoya who won multiple world titles and an Olympic gold medal spoke about depression and addiction being his toughest opponents. My interpretation of his story surrounds the pressure which comes with fame, and understanding how success in our professional lives can cloud personal problems. The message of not losing oneself allows us to identify issues and ask others for help when we need to.

Always do your best

This is something we all know and try to do, however it isn’t always possible in reality. The Four Agreements book mentions it as the one which allows the other behaviours to become habits. Lebron James once said its his personal motivation every single night to be on the basketball floor and be great, and approaching things this way can lead to more fulfilment. It is likely there is a reward with this attitude, as we’ve seen with Lebron’s three NBA titles so far. However, I try not to be too attached to the reward, and enjoy the journey of always being at my best.