November 8th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Scanning the TV for something to watch yesterday, I was lucky enough to catch a good documentary about Andre Agassi called Between The Lines. It talked about how Andre Agassi changed from being the “image is everything” brat (who took everything for granted) to the respected ambassador of tennis that gave everything back to the sport and one who kept on fighting till the very last day.
We can learn a thing or two from Andre, not just how he changed for the better, but from the way he dug himself out of the problems he had and never once thought about giving up.
Here are some of the things we can all learn …
1) Taking things one step at a time
When his rankings were at an all time low, he didn’t give up but took it one day and one step at a time. Sometimes looking too far into the future clouds your mind and gets you thinking too much i.e. looking at the big picture may not the best way to go about things. This is especially true when you are overwhelmed with problems, overly stressed and have a lot on your mind.
2) Set small simple goals daily and focus on finishing it
Getting up early every morning, he set simple goals that to accomplish by the end of the day. That way his goals were focused one at a time.
According to him, not looking at an intimidating long list of goals made it more achievable, seemed a lot easier and less likely to procrastinate. He also said that setting simple daily goals allowed him to evolve and alter what he wanted to achieve as time went by or if there were unexpected eventualities. He put it simply, what you want to achieve in a month might not necessarily be the same in a year or 5 years.
This is interesting as it goes against what we normally do i.e. making a long list of goals and trying to work through it within a time frame of weeks or months. I do have to agree that the longer the list of goals you make, the more intimidating it is.
3) Be humbled
Ranked 140th in the world, he admitted having problem and didn’t blame anyone else but himself. Although he was a superstar, he wasn’t embarrassed and was humble enough to play a number of 2nd tier challenger tournaments at local clubs/ universities — to the extent of picking up balls himself and playing at venues with minimal spectators.
This shows that we sometimes have to be humble enough to look within ourselves, admit our faults and try to change them rather than to blame everything/ everyone else around us.
4) Get back to basics
Sometimes if you have lost track of what you want to achieve or where you are in life, go back to the basics. When Agassi’s tennis rankings were at an all time low, he stopped and reevaluated himself. He admitted to straying off track from what he was good at, what his objectives were and went back to the basics.
5) Persevere and never give up
He had a lot of downs in his 21 year tennis career (both personally and professionally). Many would have quit and walked away but he persevered. The hard work saw him rise back to the top (against all odds).
Brad Gilbert (his coach at the time) persuaded Andre to go to the 1999 French Open when he was unmotivated and at an all time low professionally. He said, “You can’t win the French Open if you don’t turn up”. Andre took his advice and ended up winning it as an unseeded player.
It is indicative of human nature, to give up without even trying. To achieve something, we have to make an effort. We really won’t know how it would turn out until we try.
6) Create a mission in life
His mission in life was not to be another John McEnroe or a Rod Laver. Being good was just not enough; he wanted to be exceptional and remembered for being the best.
We all have missions in life but most of us have not defined or created it yet. Creating a mission keeps your life on track, makes it a more productive one, motivates you and gives your life more meaning.
7) Leave a legacy
Agassi left his legacy to the sport and to the community by creating the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (helping at-risk children) and the Agassi Cottage for Medically Fragile Children.
When being interviewed a couple of years ago, he put it into perspective by saying that life is more than just accolades and winning trophies but for what you put into it and the legacy you leave. Of course, we all can’t afford to donate millions to the needy or build a hospital for kids but what we can do is leave something for life to remember us by.
8) Don’t forget those around you
We can’t achieve something alone. Regardless of what anyone says, we do need the motivational push, inspiration, love, loyalty, encouragement etc. There is only so much that you can do from within, the rest comes from those around you.
Befitting his presence as the elderly statesman of the game, his final speech sums it all up:
“The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn’t say is what it is I have found. And over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I’ve found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I’ve found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could have never reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you. And I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.”
I believe we all have experienced what Andre Agassi has in our lifetime i.e. life’s ups and downs. Some of us endure more pain, suffering and adversity than others but we all end up wanting the same thing i.e. to be happy, to create a better life for ourselves and to be the best we can be.
Never thought the Andre Agassi from years ago (with the long hair and bright colored attire) would turn out to be the very person giving me some valuable lessons in life.
3 Responses to “Learning from Andre”
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ses5909 said: @ 9:32 am
November 9th, 2007
Very, very nice post and how true as well. Sometimes you can really get overwhelmed by looking at the big picture and it is hard to imagine achieving the big goals. But if you take it one day at a time, it is a lot easier to imagine it to be possible. On a related note, I saw Andree Agassi back in 1991 in Heathrow, Florida. I think it was 1991. He had the long hair and the sweaty shirts he threw into the crowd.
Kristyn said: @ 5:09 pm
November 9th, 2007
It sounds to me like we could all spend a little time in the school Agassi! I know I could! I seem to have a problem taking things one step at a time, but I’m learning as I get older. Great post, Foo!
The Foo said: @ 7:33 pm
November 9th, 2007
@ses5909
Thanks for the compliment. There are very few athletes that could make an impact on me as Agassi has. Next time he is inducted in the Tennis Hall of Fame in Rhode Island, I’ll be there. Probably be in about 5 years or so. Didn’t like him until he married Steffi Graf, I think she really sorted him out for the better.
@Kristyn
Glad you like the post, thought it would be nice to share the positive views on his life (and how I look at it). I think we all keep learning lessons in life until we die. We all learn something new everyday regardless of how big or small it is. The person that says he has stopped learning, is probably kidding himself. That’s the beauty of growing older and more mature.