Lessons from a game of badminton

When lethargy set in this Wednesday morning, badminton sprung to mind as the perfect antidote for the way I was feeling.

The question then was how to make it happen. I needed the time, the court, and a partner. In a quick two-minute discussion with my daughter, Ambika Jois , who incidentally is with us on holiday with her 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter, we decided to delay lunch and play from 1pm to 2pm as that was my grand-daughter’s sleeping time.

So, two women who had only restarted playing badminton less than a month ago and only ever in mixed doubles at 20-minute stretches, bravely marched to the court for one hour of badminton singles.

A game that started with quiet and decisive play was filled with grunts and puffs and missed shots just halfway into the game. I remember thinking at the 15-minute and 30-minute mark just how exhausted I already felt. As I was gathering the needed energy to carry on, my daughter, a fellow coach, shouted out from across the court, “Is it the mind or the body?”

I needed a few minutes to reflect on that. The answer was obvious. It was the mind that was giving up. It was easy to carry on after that. Identifying and labelling the root-cause for the fatigue as the mind was surprisingly refreshing and empowering. I found the strength I needed to carry on until the 60-minute mark. We walked back home with a sense of accomplishment that day and booked a 1pm slot for next week.

As I paused and reflected on my experiences that day, I noticed the small shifts in my thoughts, feelings, and actions. I felt elated. The following lessons sprung to mind:

1. When your body gives you a message, listen to it and act
2. Not everything needs to be planned well in advance. Great things can come from spontaneity
3. It’s ok to sacrifice routine for a bit of fun. Delaying lunch to play badminton while my granddaughter slept made perfect sense.
4. It’s ok to bravely march towards the unfamiliar. You will be surprised by what you will learn
5. When you feel like giving up, 99% of the time, it is the mind and not the body that is giving up
6. Identifying and labelling the root-cause of anything is crucial to enjoyable and sustainable transformation
7. A sense of accomplishment is a direct outcome of perseverance
8. If you have found a routine that works, stick with it and make it a habit.
9. It is important to pause, reflect and notice how we are evolving one moment at a time
10. Above all, celebrate the small victories.

As a coach, I have seen clients accomplish what I believe to be great things which they have simply not noticed. I am amazed by how much there is to notice and celebrate in a game of social badminton.

When was the last time you paused, reflected and celebrated the small shifts in life?

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