The power of Talent: Are you a go-getter like P V Sindhu?

Rio Olympics silver medalist, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has won many accolades. 

The young shuttler from Hyderabad came to international attention for the first time when she broke into the top 20 of the Badminton World Federation World Ranking in September 2012 at the mere age of 17. And since then the ace player has been carrying her fierce go-getter attitude to win on some of the biggest global laurel. Here are some of the go-getter lessons that we all can learn from her and apply them to our daily business as-usual to be successful in our careers.

Lesson 1 – There is no substitute for sheer hard work and commitment. It is this hard work and passion that drives us to overcome any physical and mental obstacles to emerge as a true winner. The ace shuttler continues to give her best in the longest of the rallies against fierce opponents. During her training days in Hyderabad, Sindhu used to travel a distance of 56 kms daily from her residence to reach her coaching camp on time.

Indian Badminton superstar and Sindhu’s coach, Pullela Gopichand also once said that "The most striking feature in Sindhu's game is her attitude and the never-say-die spirit."

Lesson 2 – Mental strength and power play are the key to success. Opposite to her shy nature, Sindhu has been coached to show aggression on the court to instill toughness during difficult times in matches. Quoting Sindhu from one of her interviews, “Once I start missing points in a row, I tend to make more errors because in my head I begin to think, 'Oh God! What's happening? Why am I losing?' I think a sportsperson gains mental strength with experience."

Lesson 3 - Practice, practice, and practice for perfection! While preparing for the Rio Olympics in 2016, when Sindhu had one foot fractured, her coach and physio worked towards putting that one foot in a restrictive cast while she continued to skill up, sitting on a bench. 

Lesson 4 – True winner is the one who bounces back after a low point. Earlier in 2015, when an injury forced her to wait for almost a quarter of the year, she came back with a big bang winning maiden Super Series final at Denmark, the Macau title, and of course, being conferred with India's fourth highest civilian honor - the Padma Shri, and all at the age of 20!

At that time, Sindhu had a remarkable view of her injury, when she shared, "(injuries) a part and parcel of an athlete's life. I have picked myself up after the injury and got back to the court with a vengeance. In a way, that's what injury does to a sportsperson; it makes you hungry for more, hungry to get back with a bang."

Lesson 5 – Knowing exactly where your strengths and weaknesses lie. While Sindhu is one agile player on the court, standing tall at 5 feet 10 inches, Sindhu started realizing early on that the opponents have started taking advantage by handing her low shots and Sindhu has worked hard with her coach and physio to overcome this challenge. 

Lesson 6 – Aspire but don’t be over-confident.  Before the Summer Olympics in 2016, Sindhu shared, "More than being excited, I am just worried about how to give my best at Rio. It's the qualifying year, and all tournaments are important. And, I don't want to settle for anything less than gold."

So while PV Sindhu goes on to chart new territories and continues to script history with her go-getter attitude, do you have the same never-say-die spirit to be the winner in your life and career? Share your thoughts on Sindhu’s win and your go-getter mantra in the comments section below!