Dr. Richard Kolodziej’s Post

I love this incredible graduate speech given by Roger Federer this week. Roger delivers valuable life lessons and very much echoing with coaching. Whether you are about to finish secondary school, to enter university, to make choices in your studies, your career or in your life, I encourage every young people (and older ones too!!) to watch it. Love how he helps us feel great about transitioning from one world to another. He reminds us about 🎾 the concept of effort and how success is just the top of the iceberg : underneath you have to work hard to make it easy and successful. 🎾 believe in you and in your strengths and see how that can enlarge your zone of expertise and expand your options 🎾 Talent is not only about your strengths and genius. It is about discipline, patience, trusting yourself, embracing and loving the process “Managing your life, managing yourself these can be talents too and everybody has to work at them” 🎾 “When you play a point it has to be the most important thing in the world but when it’s behind you: it’s behind you!” Remember to always commit to the next point, to your next adventure with intensity, clarity and focus. The way is always forward! 🎾 “negative energy is wasted energy” : Failing is ok as long as you know how to rebounce and grow from it. 🎾 Finding your unique ways to make a difference in your life. Don’t conform because you have to! To all young people, be your own self and enjoy the game! https://lnkd.in/ed8Wm3nm

Now, this is how you inspire the next generation of world leaders to chase their dreams and learn from every experience they encounter. Earlier this week, Roger Federer gave the commencement speech to the Dartmouth College Class of 2024. Even if you have no idea who he is, his speech offers life lessons for everyone — especially those of us navigating the job market. As part of his three tennis lessons, he said “When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world and it is. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is really crucial because it frees you to fully commit to the next point…and the next one after that…with intensity, clarity, and focus.” For #jobseekers, this translates to giving your all to each application or interview, then moving on without dwelling on the outcome. He goes on to say, “The truth is whatever game you play in life, sometimes you’re going to lose. And it’s natural, when you’re down, to doubt yourself. To feel sorry for yourself. But negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is to me the sign of a champion.” In the job market, this means bouncing back from rejections and using them as fuel to get after the next job application. Life is full of ups and downs, but it's how you respond to the "losses" that defines you. Federer's message is a refreshing reminder that resilience, determination, and a focus on the future are far more empowering than dwelling on the past – or adhering to outdated expectations (iykyk). If you have 25 minutes today, listen to Federer's full speech. It's a powerful reminder that we all have the potential to be champions, whether you're on the court, in the boardroom, or actively seeking your next job opportunity. Link:

"Master overcoming hard moments." This is a quote from Roger Federer's Dartmouth University commencement address. WOW! I am blown away. I love this quote. This is an awesome quote and an easy way to think about enduring losses, learning from them, and growing stronger.  Have you heard it yet? It is easy to find if you search for it. ✅    It is so critical to develop the ability and skill to effectively navigate and overcome challenging situations or setbacks in life. What does it mean?  Well, I guess you will have to interpret it for yourself. To me it is about mastering: ---> Resilience ---> Emotional Regulation ---> Persistence and Determination ---> Adaptability No secret sauce to how.  Plenty of info on Linkedin and around the web. You like the quote?  Share your thoughts below... Repost so others can see it! #whatinspiresme #motivation #mindset

𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒆𝒌 As not all of you know, I love tennis. It's a sport that challenges not only your physical abilities and strategic thinking but also your emotions. I play every Sunday and yesterday’s game was a lesson. With less than 20 minutes on the clock, I was down 1-5. No matter what I tried, points and opportunities slipped away. Naturally, I felt frustrated. At the brink of irritation, I recalled the wisdom of two tennis legends, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal once said, “𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” Federer, in a recent commencement address at Dartmouth (highly recommended, tennis fan or not), echoed this: “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺. 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳.” I shifted my mindset, adapted, and after another 30 minutes, the game was tied at 6-6 (though I lost in the tie-break). The real takeaway is how this parallels our professional lives: In our professional environment, maintaining a positive attitude is crucial. It influences not only our own performance but also the morale and productivity of the entire team. When faced with challenges or setbacks, a positive mindset helps us stay motivated and focused on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems. This resilience is key to overcoming obstacles and turning potential failures into opportunities for growth. Adaptability is equally important. The business landscape is constantly changing, and those who can pivot and adjust their strategies in response to new information and circumstances are more likely to succeed. Being adaptable means being open to new ideas, willing to take calculated risks, and ready to embrace change rather than resist it. A culture of continuous improvement encourages team members to consistently seek better ways of doing things.This culture not only improves processes and outcomes but also promotes personal and professional growth. Teams that prioritize continuous improvement are often more agile, competitive, and successful in the long run. Wishing you all a great week! #Dreamon. Be relentless, adapt and grow. Work harder, work smarter! https://lnkd.in/dAtHK4CP

Three Things I Learned from the Greatest Roger Federer recently gave a commencement speech that has gone viral. It's not just because he's a tennis champion, but because of his championship mindset. I shared this speech and my takeaways with my students, and they loved it. Here are my three takeaways that you might find useful: 1. Belief in Yourself Must Be Earned I often hear from parents that they want their kids to "be more confident" when it comes to learning, believing this is the key to success. However, as Roger pointed out, this is backward. Belief must be earned—competence always precedes confidence. 2. When It’s Behind You, It’s Behind You When my students underperform or receive poor results, they are understandably upset and disappointed. Roger's advice, "sometimes you're going to lose a point," is crucial. We can be a bit kinder to ourselves when we realise even the best make mistakes. Learn from past mistakes and move on. 3. Negative Energy is Wasted Energy This reminded me of the quote from Shakespeare, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Don't dwell on things beyond your control, such as who is writing or marking the test, how hard it will be, or even the exam mark you want. None of this perseveration contributes to anything positive. Instead, focus on taking action and controlling only what you can.

Great commencement address by Federer at Dartmouth: "I believed in myself. But BELIEF in yourself has to be earned." "In tennis... like in life... discipline is also a talent. And so is patience. Trusting yourself is a talent. Embracing the process, loving the process, is a talent. Managing your life, managing yourself... these can be talents, too. Some people are born with them. Everybody has to work at them." "The truth is, whatever game you play in life... sometimes you’re going to lose. A point, a match, a season, a job... it’s a roller coaster, with many ups and downs. And it’s natural, when you’re down, to doubt yourself. To feel sorry for yourself. And by the way, your opponents have self-doubt, too. Don’t ever forget that. But negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion. The best in the world are not the best because they win every point... It’s because they know they’ll lose... again and again… and have learned how to deal with it. You accept it. Cry it out if you need to... then force a smile. You move on. Be relentless. Adapt and grow. Work harder. Work smarter." https://lnkd.in/grNexDEF

Effortless is a myth. It's only a point. Life is bigger than the court. Love this address delivered by Dr Roger Federer to the next generation of leaders at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The same day he received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from the Ivy League college. A great role model of inspirational leadership and transition through change! His tennis lessons (aka life lessons and insights) are useful for all of us. 1. Effortless is a myth - you have to work hard to make it look easy, usually when nobody is watching. 2. Belief in yourself has to be earned. 3. Yes, talent matters but most of the time it's not about talent. It's about grit! Discipline, Patience, Trusting yourself, embracing the process, loving the process, managing your life and managing yourself ARE talents too. Some people are born with them but everyone needs to work at them. 4. It's only a point - you can work harder than you thought possible and still lose. You can lose focus but you need to keep working and keep competing. 5. Interesting that he won about 80% of his 1526 singles matches in his career, but only 54% of the total points played. Just over half of the points played! 6. When you're playing a point it has to be the most important thing in the world and it is, but when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is really crucial because it frees you to commit to the next point, and the next point after that - with intensity, clarity and focus. It's a rollercoaster and it's natural to doubt yourself. 7. Become a master at overcoming bad moments. Negative energy is wasted energy. This is the sign of a champion. The most successful people are not the best in the world because they win every point, it's because they know they'll lose again and again and have learned how to deal with it, accept it, cry it out if they have to....and then force a smile. Move on and then work harder, remember work smarter. 8. Life is much bigger than the tennis court. Thanks to my son Liam Hounsell (former State League tennis player 😉)

"Winning in Life: Lessons We Learned from Roger Federer" Roger Federer's speech from the Dartmouth College 2024 Graduation last Sunday is a must watch / read so much so that I shared it immediately with my grown up kids in the UK and implored then to watch it. As a consultant working in the field of high performance and mindset as an advanced 🔴2 🔵 coach here are my take aways of the three lessons: Effortless is a Myth It's only a point. Life is bigger than the court 1️⃣ Skills Need to be Deliberate and Practiced: Mastery, in any field, isn't effortless. It’s the result of intentional practice and relentless hard work. Just like on the tennis court, achieving excellence in life demands a deliberate effort. It's about showing up every day, honing your skills, and striving to be better than you were yesterday. Remember, talent alone doesn’t ensure success; dedication and discipline do. 2️⃣ Mindset: Intensity and Resilience: Your mindset is your most powerful tool. In the game of life, there will be moments when you feel overwhelmed, when doubt creeps in, or when you lose focus. This is where the concept of Red2Blue comes into play. Recognize when you're distracted (Red) and consciously bring yourself back to the present moment (Blue). This resilience will help you stay focused on your goals and navigate challenges with clarity and strength. 3️⃣ Life is Bigger Than What's in Front of You: Find your purpose and passion beyond immediate goals. Life’s richness comes from the diverse experiences, relationships, and contributions we make. Whether it's through philanthropy, community service, or simply being there for your loved ones, remember that what you do off the court is just as important as what you do on it. Embrace the world, give back, and find fulfillment in making a positive impact. Roger's lessons aren’t just for graduates; they’re for everyone striving to be the best version of themselves. It’s about working hard, staying resilient, and living with purpose and passion. Here’s to your journey ahead—embrace it with all your heart. 🎉 #resilience, #mindset Gazing Middle East GAZING RED2BLUE Gazing Performance

Watch Roger Federer’ speech at Dartmouth Graduation. A few great life-business lessons. Here are my top six: 1.Effortless is a myth: “I had to work very hard to make it look easy”. ”I was working very hard, before anyone was watching”. 2.Believe in yourself has to be earned: “you need a whole arsenal of strengths”. 3.Talent has a broad definition: Grit > Gift. Discipline. Patience. Trusting yourself. Embracing the process. Those are talents. 4.”it is only a point”: are you the hungriest out there? “A point is the most important thing in the world until its over. Then its behind you. Move on.” “Negative energy, is wasted energy”. “Become the master to overcome the hard moments”. 5.Dont ever forget where you came from. But dont loose the appetite to see the world. 6.Whatever game you choose, give it your best.

“Talent isn’t about having a gift; it’s about having discipline, grit, patience, and loving the process.” — Roger Federer When I was learning to play the guitar, the initial excitement was electric. Every chord I mastered felt like a small victory. But as the weeks passed, the thrill waned, and practicing became a chore. That’s when I remembered Roger Federer’s words: “Talent isn’t about having a gift; it’s about having discipline, grit, patience, and loving the process.” One day, I came across another quote that struck a chord (pun intended): “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle Determined to sing, I set clear goals, created a routine, and shared my progress with a friend who kept me accountable. Every time I felt like giving up, I reminded myself of the joy I found in playing the guitar. Here are a few tips I picked up along the way to maintain practice: Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve and break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. Create a Routine: Consistency is key. Establish a regular practice schedule and stick to it. Stay Accountable: Share your goals with someone who can keep you accountable. Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and reward yourself for the small victories along the way. Embrace the Process: Focus on enjoying the journey, not just the end result. Remember, “Discipline no just determines success but determines how long you stay successful.' - C MuthuPalaniappan Let’s commit to our growth and see where our practice can take us. #Discipline #GrowthMindset #PracticeMakesPerfect #CareerDevelopment