“Winning is fun…sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.”
– Pat Summitt.
Physical talent alone is not enough for success. It takes self-belief, mental strength, and discipline. Those who possess both appear “wired” differently, with the ability to “go again” even when physically drained. Sportspeople are obvious examples but consider Bruce Springsteen. His concerts are legendary, lasting four hours or more with up to forty songs on the song list. His crowds are often more spent than he is. How does he do it? He has followed a strict routine for the last thirty years; he enjoys a vegetarian-based diet and alternates between running five or six miles and gym work each day. At seventy-one he appears to be unstoppable.
Andy Murray also takes crowds on emotionally draining four-hour journeys when he performs! Prior to 2021, the last time he played at Wimbledon was in 2017 as defending champion. Since then serious injury has meant battling pain rather than opponents. He endured surgery, months of rehabilitation, physio, and endless conditioning and daily fitness sessions. He resumed playing, but the pain returned. He risked everything on a second more invasive hip resurfacing procedure, just to enable him to live pain-free and maybe, just maybe the chance to play again.
Murray is the all-time fourth tennis prize-winner with $61m, earning $16.4m in 2016 when reaching world number one. So what drives someone who has wealth, a young family, and a very comfortable lifestyle to push themselves to the limit?
The deeply personal and graphic documentary “Andy Murray Resurfacing” (yes, the title’s wordplay made me smile too) provides some answers. He talks candidly about the childhood anxiety brought on through the series of events such as the Dunblane tragedy, his parents’ divorce, and the close relationship with his older brother being broken as Jamie left home to further his own tennis development. This left Andy deeply unsettled. His only safe haven was playing tennis. People told him “it’s just tennis, it’s just a sport.” But to him it’s so much more. It underpins his mental health and wellbeing. His brutally tough routine provided structure to his day – training, exercising, and diet. He worries about how he will replace that when he stops; a common concern for those in transition from work into retirement.
Whether it’s Andy Murray or Bruce Springsteen the connection between physical health and mental wellbeing is clear. The routine of exercise, preparation, performance, and recovery is everything. It provides the stability and space to work, rest, and play, to gradually unwind and over time adjust and embrace to changes in lifestyle. The shift from days consisting of strict routine, coaches, media interviews, and sponsored events to suddenly finding yourself on your own to make decisions, with free time and opportunity to spend money has been emotionally damaging for many.
Service personnel especially find integration back into civilian life difficult. The lack of routine, making your own decisions, loss of camaraderie and team identity can cause really anxiety and stress.
Creating a “life after work” routine can boost physical and mental wellbeing. Good financial health can combat probably the biggest contributor to stress and anxiety; knowing you have sufficient resources to enjoy life. We feel privileged that many people approach us for “life coaching” as well as financial advice. It comes as a surprise that our advice can sometimes be to spend more, complete your bucket list, find your purpose and invest time in it. Our primary motivation is to help families live healthy lives to the full mentally, physically, and spiritually.