Tennis

I have started playing tennis again.

I had played as a child from around 11 until I was 18. I loved it. I loved training, competing and thinking about tennis. I was never great, but tried hard to get better. One thing that I later reflected on is how in matches and especially at the crucial moments I would often play worse. I put so much pressure on myself that I just couldn't cope. I knew at the time that my mind was confused, but didn't know how to change it.

Then I left for college and stopped playing. And didn't think much about tennis for 17 years.

But earlier this year, I became interested in tennis again. I read Andre Agassi's book Open. I read Nadal's My Story. I listened to the podcast interviews Lewis Howes did with Novak Djokovic. I started following the results, watching some games. And studying their careers. Their moments of absolute peak. And their biggest disappointments.

And then I read a book called Rest by Pang, that argued that many very creative and productive people found a balance to their main work pursuit by pursuing childhood interests as an adult. When I read it, it resonated and tennis came to mind.

So I started playing again and am enjoying it a lot.