4.21 Steffi Graf: What Are You Focused On?

“You can’t measure success if you have never failed. My father has taught me that if you really do want to reach your goals, you can't spend any time worrying about whether you're going to win or lose. Focus only on getting better.” - Steffi Graf

Do you focus on winning, losing, or getting better?

I don’t want to lose, and I don’t like losing. Because of this, when I was younger, I would avoid some battles if I didn’t think I could win, or I wouldn’t try as hard, or I would joke around so people would think I wasn’t taking it seriously.

I let thoughts of winning or losing hold me back, but then I learned how to focus on enjoying the battle and my effort instead, and that mindset helped me get the most out of every situation.

Steffi Graf dominated women’s tennis in the 1980s and 90s. She once said, “You can't measure success if you have never failed. My father has taught me that if you really do want to reach your goals, you can't spend any time worrying about whether you're going to win or lose. Focus only on getting better.”

Focusing too much on results can be distracting or even paralyzing. It can take your attention away from what actually helps you improve. Instead of being outcome-driven, be process-driven by putting all your energy into improving your skills, learning from your mistakes, and becoming the best version of yourself.

Question of the Day: How can you have a growth mindset that sees failure as a necessary step toward success, not something that needs to be avoided, and value progress over perfection?