October’s theme in Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project is “Paying Attention.” In her New York Times bestselling book, she emphasizes that mindfulness isn’t about sitting cross-legged on a cushion (though we will look at that tomorrow) so much as noticing what’s happening right in front of us. Rubin highlights two specific techniques for paying attention that resonated with me: Avoiding the temptation to multitask and examining our default rules. Being mindful of these two things can translate directly into both improved tennis performance and increased enjoyment from the game.
I have to confess a moment of irony last weekend. I found myself sitting in a USTA Texas Summit committee meeting, brainstorming an outline for this post that recommends not multitasking. In that moment, I was a living example of Rubin’s point that multitasking diminishes both experiences. The meeting didn’t have my full attention, and neither did my writing. It’s the same on the tennis court. If your mind is genuinely elsewhere, you can’t fully engage with what’s happening in your match. Performance and enjoyment are both diminished.
Rubin also encourages readers to “examine the rules” in this chapter of her book. These aren’t the literal rules of tennis, but rather the personal heuristics we use to simplify decisions. An example of one that I have recently developed in my tennis life is that I no longer buy tournament T-shirts or towels. If that swag comes as part of the entry fee, I’ll happily take it, but it won’t be long before it is donated to our local community support non-profit. For me, this rule frees up mental space, reduces clutter, and saves money that can be better applied to more impactful and enduring purposes. I recognize that for many players, collecting those mementos is an important part of the experience and a way of supporting the tournaments. For me, I’ve decided it isn’t.
On court, I also rely on rules of thumb. One of mine is to hit drop shots early and often in a singles match. Even if I suspect they won’t be especially effective, I want to establish the tendency and get my opponent leaning forward. That helps set up the rest of my game, which often involves grinding out long points and wearing down the player on the other side of the net. Having that early-match heuristic gives me a clear starting point, allowing me to settle into the flow of the match and save mental energy by not wasting time deciding what to do until I have better information on my opponent and how they are playing that day.
Rubin’s key insight, however, is that these rules of thumb shouldn’t be followed blindly. Paying attention means occasionally examining whether your default settings are actually working for you and serving you well. We all have patterns we follow simply out of habit, even when they no longer make sense. Asking “Is this rule still true for me?” is just as important as having it in the first place.
As October unfolds, I encourage you to reflect on your own tennis life. What rules—big or small—are you following by default? Are they serving you well, or is it time to re-examine them? Most of all, I’d love to hear from you if you have any tennis-related “rules” you would be willing to share.
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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.
