Here are some takeaways from Andre Agassi interview in Harward Business Review magazine:
Q: You had epic match comebacks too. How did you
develop that resilience?
It’s about recognizing that regardless of what
the score is, the most important point
is that next point. If you can get yourself into that state of mind, you
just are who you are. People give you more credit for coming back than they do
for blowing somebody out, but both require the same skill set. After a blowout,
nobody says, “Wow, how strong and focused you are.” But you really are.
Q: How did you learn to manage your emotions when
you played?
I don’t know that I did. I’ve seen people use
emotion, positive or negative, as a tool, and it works for them. But typically,
the more you can remove emotion, the
more efficient you’ll be. You can be an inch from winning but still miles
away if you allow emotion to interfere with the last step. So you have to
accept: the weather, heat, rain, stops and starts, the line calls, whatever
your opponent is giving you, however tired or injured you are. There are so
many things that can distract you from taking care of business. The only thing you can control is your
engagement.
Original source: Life’s Work: An Interview with Andre Agassi by Alison Beard FROM THE OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE
