After years of not shooting pool (probably about 20), I joined a pool tournament at work and somehow made it to the finals.  What I learned is that some things stay with you.  All those early years, hanging out at pool halls with my friends and playing on a regular basis instilled muscle memory and concepts that I never forgot.

What I thought was a huge waste of my time years ago could actually be a foundation of something that I could build on if I wanted to. I’ve chosen not to follow the pursuit of being a pool shark since I have a lot of other priorities.  But it was a huge lesson that I’m not starting at ground zero in a lot of things in my life.  My past experiences have given me knowledge and skills that I have access to.

I also think that I made it to the finals because I focussed on my “inner game.”  (I re-read a fascinating book which was written in 1972 called, “The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance” which is all about overcoming the self-doubt and negative self talk that can keep a player from winning.  It teaches you techniques on how to get out of your head and into the moment.  And that’s what I did for all the games leading up to the finals.

I didn’t win the finals because my opponent, Udai, was a superior player.  He was more focused and consistent that day.  (I have beat him in single games many times.)  I also didn’t win because I cared too much about winning at that moment.  I got in my head and got nervous because I had a crowd watching me.

That loss was a great lesson because it pushed me to figure out why I always get nervous in clutch moments.  Why do I always put way too much pressure on myself and set such high standards?    Especially when people are watching.  I learned that it was time to no longer let my ego get the best of me.

My biggest lesson: that I need to get out of my head and out of my own way.  A lot of the time, my greatest opponent isn’t the person in front of me, it’s my thoughts and mental state.  Half of the battle is fought within.  This is definitely an area of focus for me in my pursuit of self improvement.