That might sound strange, but hear me out.
When I took on a big new tennis goal this year—starting as a complete novice—I knew one thing for sure: I was going to lose. A lot. And I did.
I lost matches in ways that were embarrassing. There were moments where I felt humiliated and out of my depth. But I didn’t let those feelings stop me. I reminded myself: this is the process of getting better. Losing wasn’t the end; it was a step forward.
The surprising thing? Learning to lose well in tennis started to ripple into other parts of my life.
When things didn’t work out at work—whether it was a pitch that didn’t land or an opportunity that fell through—it didn’t sting like it used to. I stopped catastrophizing the setback, stopped attaching meaning to the failure.
Instead, I got curious. What can I learn from this? What’s the next step to improve?
Being the Bestest Loser doesn’t mean sugarcoating failures or pretending they don’t matter. It means staying neutral. Not spiraling. Facing reality and using it as a tool to learn, adapt, and grow.
This mindset shift has changed everything for me this year. In tennis, I started winning matches. In work, I felt freer, more creative, and less afraid of taking risks.
Failure will always be part of the process. But when you embrace it—when you commit to being the best at learning from losing—it becomes a stepping stone to something greater.
