Andy Murray, that point, and a method for life
Who remembers that Andy Murray point? For a reminder here’s the clip.
It’s Wimbledon time so what better chance to remember a rally that’s so remarkable for its spectacle – and for the story it tells. These 29 seconds serve up a million metaphors about life. About determination. About mindset, effort, preparation and good old fashioned luck.
Kokkinakis should have put our Andy away five or six times but no. Pluck, desperation, recovery, work ethic, experience, grind, grit … Murray ekes out a point that should never have been his.
No wonder the Australian smashed up his racket.
It’s not about the tennis
During Covid, like many people, I attempted to find new hobbies to fill those long lockdown days. I saw a post about beginners’ tennis, and I rocked up.
In a word, I was terrible. I couldn’t control the racket and there was no hope for the ball. I reckon the rest of the group felt sorry for me, but even sorrier for my opponents.
Still, I loved it. I was hooked.
I accepted it was new. I had a lot to learn and I kept trying. I didn’t punish myself for being rubbish, I shrugged it off and tried again. Fast forward two years, and I now play three times a week. It’s my de-stress thing.
And maybe this is the key to anything: at first you know nothing, then you learn the rules, then the basics, then you develop your own technique. Each stage has pain but you only have to try again. You’ll find your way. Your own way.
The how universal
This mindset framework – and for the record I’m still not very good at tennis – is multi-applicable. It’s the kind of approach that translates almost everywhere else.
In almost anything, all we can do is understand what’s within our control (and what’s not) and focus there. Prepare right and we can gradually relax into the task. When you’re comfortable and focused, it’ll feel right … without fears or self-confidence upsetting our process.
We only get better when we engage with people further on in the journey, but don’t worry too much about them or the game itself. We can’t control either. Also, the outcome isn’t your domain. Your job is to turn up and play the best game you can.
Sometimes you coast, other times you grind. Mistakes happen. Ask Andy.
Doing a(ny)thing is about planning and preparation, and it’s about how you respond, react and recover. Losing is the best way to learn, and makes all future victories taste so much sweeter.
Saving, investing, money management, chess, tennis. Life. The what might be different, but the how universal.
A Money Means update
Done eulogising about tennis and Mr Murray, we thought we’d let you know that the Money Means platform is in the hands of our second group of testers and the results are coming in.
We’re getting so much positivity around what the app does, as well as how it enables and empowers people to school up, tool up and play their best shots. If you’d like to join our BETA testers (which we’d really appreciate), please send an email to hello@moneymeans.co.uk …
And click here to join the app waitlist.
We’re getting there. It’s taken a fair time to get it this far, but we know it’ll be worth the wait. The things worth having are.