We’re celebrating and here’s reason #1.

Serena burst into the new decade with her first title after 3 years. Has it been that long? It has! It’s hard to believe that the woman that receives the AP Female Athlete of the Decade award and who has maintained a champion of her sport for the past 4 decades, hadn’t won a title in 3 years. We can learn many lessons from Serena on how to continue our individual journeys of high performance and personal growth. With that said, here are 20 ways to win this year. 

1. Keep Showing Up – Nothing happens if you’re not participating or trying. The outcome doesn’t matter, just continue to go after what you want. The 1st step is to show up.
2. Set New Bold Goals – Serena has done it all, but she continues to push herself. She doesn’t stay satisfied with her past victories, but she doesn’t disregard them, either. She continues to look for new ways to outdo herself, not others.
3. Remember Your Why – The photo of Serena holding her daughter Olympia after her win said it all. She knows why she’s on the court. She wants to show her daughter how to be strong, to go after her goals and how to have faith in yourself even if others want to count you out.
4. Get Better – Forget the status quo. Work on your craft, keep learning, build new skills, and increase your expertise.
5. Align with the Right Partners – Serena played doubles with one of her best friends on the tennis circuit, Caroline Wozniacki at the ATP Auckland Open. Although they fell just shy of the title, some say playing with her good buddy during the tournament helped her relax and enjoy the tournament more (you could see they were having a ball the whole time), making her singles match win all the better.

6. Keep Your Inner Circle Close – Look into the stands and who do you see? Mom, Husband, Baby, Coach. As much as Serena has accomplished she still keeps her inner circle close. I don’t remember a match where Oracene (mom) wasn’t there, cheering her daughter on (sometimes with a look of boredom, but always there)
7. Support Others – This win for Serena was a big one. She’s been chasing the infamous 24 for a really long time. In my opinion, she’s won it 2 or 3 times (making it to at least that many finals over the last 2 years since she’s been back after giving birth). The title let the world know she’s still a champion, but she proved that not with her physical abilities on court, but with her generous gesture throughout the tournament. For every match she won, she donated a dress and she donated her prize money to those affected by the Australian fires. That’s a champion, inside and out.
8. Get Fit – The mind-body connection is real. It’s time to get fit and a great way to start is with the body. If you’ve been slipping (as many of us have), now’s the time to get back on track. Identify one shift/change you need to make in the new year to be a fitter you. It’s important. 
9. Take More Risks – You have to put yourself out there. It might not work out the way you want but do it anyway. Take more risks to get what you want.
10. Be Willing to Change – Rarely will you see people raising their hand for change, although they know how important it is. You can’t do the same things and expect different results. What do you need to change to win this year? Start there.

11. Trust Your Instincts – How often do you second guess yourself? Stop doing it. Know that you know what’s good for you. Trust your instincts.
12. Let Go – I think the pressure of the 24 grand slams has hindered Serena’s ability to win. It’s a lot. Every time she steps on the court she’s expected to win. That’s a lot of pressure. Regardless of whether she matches or exceeds this record, Serena has already built a legacy that can never be erased. Sometimes you have to just let go. Her win in Auckland told everyone (herself included) that she’s still capable of winning a title.
13. Be Fierce – That equates to confidence in your ability to get the job done. This year you need to be fierce.
14. Erase Doubts – You have to get past the doubts that are holding you back. Am I good enough? Can I do that? Am I capable? Yes!! So go ahead and be amazing.
15. Invest in Yourself – What does that look like? Spend the time, money and energy to invest in excelling in all areas of your life. Use the resources to enhance your business, grow personally and professionally so you can be and become the best version of yourself. We say, Play Your Best Game!

16. Accept and Love Who You Are – As we grow, learn, change, and evolve, we have to remember to love and accept who we are. Once you do that, you’ll open yourself up to many more possibilities.
17. Stay Accountable – It’s time to remove the excuses and show up for yourself. Decide what you want to do, schedule time to do it, and make it happen. 
18. Challenge Yourself Daily – Make it a practice to do something every day to challenge yourself. Do something you love. Do something you don’t. Do something you need to do. Do something you want to do.
19. Get out of your comfort zone – If you don’t feel challenged, you’re settling. Change your routine, get rid of the fear, release control and find ways to expand your horizon.
20. Do You! – It’s so easy to try to conform to what we see. Stop comparing your life and business with someone else’s. The better option is to become extremely self-aware and then decide how you want to do life and business.

There you have it. 20 ways to win this year. Go for it and Let’s Celebrate!

Sheronde is a strategist and speaker and the founder of Business Women Love Tennis (BWLT). She uses tennis as a transformative tool to inspire women to win in business and life.