Subscribe (RSS)By Guest Blogger and iPEC Trainer, Alan Cohen
I was relaxing last Sunday morning and happened to catch a bit of the men’s final of the French Open. As a tennis fan, it was great to see one of the greats in Rafael Nadal back at the top of his game. (For your information in case you’re not a tennis fan, Nadal won his fifth French Open title, and his seventh Grand Slam overall.)
But more than it being great to see him back at the top, I got to thinking about him as an athlete and a person. Tennis is a game that requires unbelievable balance. So much of the game is getting your opponent out of position and off balance. In fact, if you ever take a little bit of time and watch the top players play, you’ll certainly be able to see what I mean. Players who are off-balance, trying to hit a shot, rarely succeed in their efforts.
There are so many features of a good, balanced shot in tennis. Just look at the photo of Nadal’s backhand. His feet provide the base for his shot. This is where every shot is made or lost. With feet in the wrong place, other parts of his body will have to make up for the un-balance.
Just like the legs provide the base, the same metaphor works in life. We get to choose where our feet are, what our base is like. A lot is written about work/life balance, and that’s all well and good, but the biggest key is simply understanding where you want your life to be. You have to understand what your base is and build from there.
In the last year, not only was Nadal battling injuries, but his family life was falling apart (his parents got a divorce). He struggled to find balance in his life and in his tournament schedule. But he’s back. He made a choice.
What about you? What choices are your facing that could help you find balance in your life?
Alan Cohen
Acts of Balance, Inc.
Executive Coaching and Public Relations Consulting
www.actsofbalance.com
Tags: Balance, change, coach training, motivation, success