The point is, its only a point.
Thank you, Dr. Roger for some fresh, positive words from a campus green.
You might be starting to see clips & extracts of Roger Federer’s commencement speech at Dartmouth University in your feed or forwarded to you (I did). If you don’t want to read this dilettante’s take on it, then skip my words and just watch the whole speech.
As a Federer fan, there might be an additional layer of warmth I feel, including his familiar humour- mostly amusing, occasionally awkward, quite endearing. The fact that it is from a player & personality I have admired and rooted for surely makes it more meaningful, but I do think it is a speech worth watching for many, of many ages.
I chose to mention here his “Second Lesson”, because it connected with the ‘me’ that is on a swirling professional journey, the me that is a wandering human, and also the me that is a strolling parent.
(Slightly edited, emphasis mine)
In the 1,526 signals matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. Now, I have a question for you.
What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches?
Only 54%.
When you lose every second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think, "Okay, I double faulted. It's only a point." Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN's top 10 playlist, that, too, is just a point.
So here's why I'm telling you this. When you're playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world, and it is. But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is really crucial, 'cause it frees you to fully commit to the next point, and the next point after that with intensity, clarity, and focus.
The truth is, whatever game you play in life, sometimes, you're going to lose a point, a match, a season, a job. It's a rollercoaster with many ups and downs, and it's natural when you're down to doubt yourself, and to feel sorry for yourself.
But negative energy is wasted energy.
You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is, to me, the sign of a champion, the best in the world are not the best, because they win every point. It's because they know they'll lose again and again, and have learned how to deal with it.
These notions of resilience, not living in the past and moving on, are by no means revelatory. Yet, this kind of insight is often received/reiterated better and differently when offered through a fresh lens. In this case, the lens of an all-time great athlete with his own little gift of articulation.
There are moments in life, in jobs, in projects- adrenaline fuelled highs, buzzing successes, gut wrenching disappointments. Some we feel for ourselves, some for our cause or our team, some for those we care about. This wisdom, this powerful mindset, speaks to all those versions of us.
Thanks, Dr. Roger.