Throughout 2025, we are spending the first weekend of each month focused on a theme inspired by the bestselling book The Happiness Project. The topic for October is “Paying Attention.” The author, Gretchen Rubin, emphasizes that mindfulness isn’t limited to meditation or focus. It also applies to everyday habits, including being mindful about what you eat. We are closing out this weekend by reflecting on how food and nutrition can impact performance and happiness in tennis.
In the wake of dealing with the Trophy Husband’s medical situation, one side effect for me has been weight gain. I’m carrying around a few extra pounds, and I am definitely not at what I consider to be my ideal playing weight. A large (no pun intended) part of the reason is that I haven’t been making very good choices about what to eat.
This isn’t a post about ideal nutrition. I am a big believer in N=1 studies, which is the idea that each person has to find what works for them. How players need to manage their nutrition will vary widely. While I have a pretty good sense of what’s optimal for me to eat to maintain a healthy weight both in competition and daily life, I would never presume that what works for me would be best for anyone else. My current personal challenge isn’t awareness of what I should be eating, but rather mindfulness. I simply haven’t been thinking intentionally enough about my choices.
Rubin recommends keeping a food diary as a way to increase awareness of eating habits. I’m using that technique throughout October as a mental reset. It works because the simple act of recording what you eat forces you to slow down and pay attention to what’s going on. This doesn’t require a fancy app or elaborate system. Writing things down by hand is fast, cheap, and effective.
Another approach I prefer is establishing an identity around positive habits. For example, while on business travel a couple of weeks ago, before hitting the hotel breakfast buffet each morning, I told myself: “I am a person who makes healthy choices.” My plate was filled with oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, and an apple. I repeated the same exercise last weekend at the USTA Texas Summit, facing an even better buffet spread. But then I spotted the double applewood smoked bacon. That instantly became my “cheat day.” I only had two pieces, but it was a reminder that even with the best intentions, we’re all a work in progress.
Being mindful about what you eat isn’t about perfection, but rather attention. Nutrition is highly personal, but almost everyone benefits from slowing down, noticing choices, and reminding themselves of the identity they want to embody. The payoff isn’t just better health—it’s also greater happiness. As part of this month’s Happiness Project theme, I encourage you to join me in being more mindful about what you eat, whether that be on match days, during training, or in everyday life.
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Throughout 2025, I am dedicating the first full weekend of every month to exploring how ideas from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (<- Sponsored Link) can spark greater enjoyment and happiness in tennis. This is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe everyone should read. Seriously, you should get your hands on a copy of this book and consider trying some of the techniques described by the author.
