FED Mantra of Success from Federer Nadal Final

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FED Mantra of Success from Federer Nadal Final

When you have determination, energy, skill and a touch of luck in your side, there is nothing that can prevent you from accomplishing your goal. That is exactly what happened on 29th January, 2017, when Roger Federer won his 18th grand slam title (Australian Open 2017 final) at the age of 35, beating his old rival Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Almost ten years since Roger Federer last beat Rafa Nadal in a grand slam, he’s beaten him in five sets. He spent six months out with a knee injury last year? Nadal had 23-11 winning record against Federer before this match and experts said odd were all against Federer. Though, I’m not a very big fan of tennis. I was glued to the TV to witness this match, what was dubbed as the most awaited match in tennis history. This historic match, was for these two players who wanted to leave a legacy of being the “greatest tennis player of all time”. Most importantly. Federer’s 2017 Australian Open title victory marked the culmination of his years-long quest since his 2012 Wimbledon title win for his 18th Grand Slam singles title. Showing phenomenal speed of foot, metronomic accuracy of strokes, tremendous stamina and mental strength, they were fountains of youthful exuberance.

We, in our professional and personal lives, sometimes give up on our long cherished goal or seem to lose the mojo that gave us record breaking results year after year, citing reason, of “age not on our side” or “did try for many years, but no outcome”, “opponent too strong with a proven track record” etc. This match showed that being the best requires more than talent. A laser sharp Focus to resist distractions and keep doing what truly matters was also demonstrated by the players (including Federer) during this match. Focus also means that you don’t pay attention to what others think or say, as experts had said Federer will never be able to win any grand slam after his injury six month back. Federer, who came back from a career threatening injury, also showed terrific Endurance and Determination. These three traits, alone can help us keep us going and beckon us to continue chasing our dreams when things gets nasty (and things are bound to get nasty once in a while). Like tennis, in our business, life, everywhere, these three traits ( FED- Focus, Endurance, Determination) would fetch us lasting results and make a lasting positive imprint not only on our organization’s balance sheet but also on our career map.

(Note – this is also the editorial content of PM Essence (February 2017). This is the monthly journal on Project Management from PMI Bangalore India Chapter, www.pmibangalorechapter.in/newsletter)