Readiness over Perfection
#rafa #nadal #wimbeldon #presence #preparation
I’m reading Rafa, the autobiography of tennis player Rafael Nadal. Early in the book, he shares a simple but powerful idea:
“The more you train, the better you are at hitting the shot every time.”
The full passage is technically about tennis, but reads like something you’d want to remember when life gets unpredictable:
“You might think that after the millions and millions of balls I’ve hit, I’d have the basic shots of tennis sown up, that reliably hitting a true, smooth, clean shot every time would be a piece of cake. But it isn’t. Not just because every day you wake up feeling differently, but because every shot is different; every single one. From the moment the ball is in motion, it comes at you at an infinitesimal number of angles and speeds—with more topspin, or backspin, or flatter, or higher. The differences might be minute, microscopic, but so are the variations your body makes—shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, ankles, knees—with every shot. And there are so many other factors—the weather, the surface, the rival. So every time you line up to hit a shot, you have to make a split-second judgement as to the trajectory and speed of the ball, and then a split-second decision as to how, how hard, and where to hit it back... And of one thing I have no doubt: the more you train, the better you are at hitting the shot every time.”
Nadal’s point is a good reminder: even the best players face uncertainty with every shot. What sets them apart isn’t that they get it perfect every time—it’s that they’re ready. Not just through repetition, but through the kind of training that builds adaptability, flexibility, and quick thinking.
That’s what preparation gives you—not just skill, but a sense of readiness. It sharpens your instincts, helps you pick up on patterns faster, and builds confidence to handle whatever comes your way. Whether you’re having a tough conversation, leading a project, or just catching up with a friend, every moment has its own rhythm. Like a tennis shot, you’ve got to read it in the moment and respond with presence.
Real preparation isn’t about making life predictable. It’s about being ready—with clarity and focus—when it’s not.
