What does take to Be Extraordinary?
This month I am writing to you from Chengdu, China, where I am privileged to be working at the World Tennis Tour Junior Finals with the top eight junior boys and girls in the world. Being around this level of talent is always inspiring, but what interests me most is not simply how well these young athletes hit a tennis ball. It is what has enabled them to get here, and what will determine how far they go from here.
Talent matters.
But talent alone is never enough.
As I watch, listen and speak with these players, three qualities stand out.
BELIEF
At some point, every extraordinary achievement begins with someone believing it is possible.
Believing before the ranking proves it.
Believing after a loss.
Believing when progress feels slow.
Believing when other people may not yet see what you see.
The higher you go, the more important that belief becomes.
Because there will always be pressure, setbacks and moments when your confidence is tested.
You have to see possibility in yourself before you can achieve it.
CONSISTENCY
Extraordinary performance is not created in one brilliant moment.
It is created through hundreds and thousands of seemingly ordinary ones.
One training session.
One recovery session.
One better decision.
One more repetition.
One day of showing up when you don’t particularly feel like it.
Anyone can be exceptional occasionally.
The real challenge is being committed to your standards consistently.
KEEP LEARNING
Perhaps this is what has struck me most.
These players are already among the very best juniors in the world — yet they are still curious and hungry to improve.
They want to know more.
They ask questions.
They listen.
They reflect.
They look for the smallest ways to improve.
There is a wonderful Chinese proverb:
Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.
That applies far beyond sport.
The moment we believe we already know enough, we stop growing.
Whether you are an athlete, a leader, a professional or simply someone determined to become the best version of yourself, there is always another level.
And often, at the highest level, the difference is not enormous.
It is the willingness to keep searching for that little edge. It is these little differences that make the BIG difference, the difference between ordinary and Extraordinary.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Ask yourself:
Where do I need to believe in myself more?
Where could I become more consistent?
What am I willing to learn, change or improve next?
Then act on one of them.
The journey to Extraordinary is not one giant leap.
It is a succession of choices made day after day.
Believe. Be consistent. Stay curious. Keep growing.
That is how you become Extraordinary.
Love from Chengdu
Ann
