Time to Think

After the bridge tournament this weekend, organized by the ACB at Chimes, I came home to a loving family to forget the errors I had made, and rejoice in the fact that I had played the finals with the best in the country.

Coincidentally, I started reading a very interesting book titled- "Time to Think" by Nancy Kline. I was struck by a very profound sentence - ‘everything we do first depends on the thinking we do first.’

It set me to think (so what if not first 😊)…

I was playing reasonably well per my standards and qualified for the Sunday finals, thanks to partner 😊. On all the tables, I was feeling reasonably confident and ‘in the flow’.  But I don’t know what happened on the table with Kiran Nadar ma’am, I got nervous even before picking the cards. I lost points on a game which one could just open the cards and claim, 4 spades easily making. Couldn’t believe myself 😊.

Well, as per research, it’s caused due to- analysis by paralysis, choking or imposter syndrome, only way to get over it is - think better before the game.

Sports history is rich with tales of young, promising athletes facing pivotal moments of challenge and learning, especially when competing against or alongside seasoned veterans. These stories often highlight not just the mistakes made but also the resilience and growth that follow.  A few stories…

Rory McIlroy entered the final round of the 2011 Masters Tournament with a four-stroke lead. As a young golfer quickly making a name for himself, McIlroy was expected to clinch his first major title. However, the final round was fraught with mistakes, most notably on the 10th hole, where his drive went way off course, leading to a triple bogey. McIlroy’s game unraveled from there, and he finished the tournament in 15th place. This collapse was a significant learning moment for McIlroy, who later credited the experience with teaching him how to handle pressure and adversity. He won the U.S. Open in record-breaking fashion just two months later.

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant, had had a roller coaster start to his international career. Known for his aggressive batting style, Pant often found himself criticized for throwing his wicket away by playing irresponsible shots, especially when playing with or against senior players, who capitalized on his inexperience. An example of this was during a Test match in England in 2018, where Pant attempted to attack the English bowlers early in his innings, leading to his dismissal. However, Pant has learned from these experiences, playing a match-winning innings in Australia and against England, showing growth and maturity in his game.

To return to our game, there is so much to learn other than just bidding sequences, leads and conducting / defending a hand at the table. One of the most important facets of the game is presence at the table with a positive mindset.

Hearteningly, the beauty of the game at Chimes was that young talent did extremely well- Anjali and Shambhu, Aditi and Biswajit. I’m sure they followed 'time to think'.

My editor asked me "What about you? Aren't you young too?" I responded with "Apna bhi time aayega".

PS - thanks to Mangalam Punj for graciously giving us the beautiful venue for the game. Thanks to the directors for painstakingly ensuring a smooth flow of events. And last, but no least thanks to Manjit Oberoi, Asha Sharma ji and all other organisers of the event.

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.