Hard work, the ability to stay focused, motivated, and keep grinding away. That feeling that gets you out there on the days where you simply don’t feel like it! Is it a mindset, a work ethic, something you are born with, or something you can learn?
Some people may have a natural drive, but no one is born with an unshakable discipline. That kind of work ethic is built over time through habits, repetition, and a deep connection to why you do what you do.
The ability to stay focused and keep grinding, even on the toughest days, comes from:
• Mindset: Training yourself to push through resistance, knowing that progress is made in the moments you don’t feel like showing up.
• Work Ethic: Building the discipline to put in the effort consistently, turning hard work into a routine, not a choice.
• Passion & Purpose: Finding that something inside that drives you—the love for the game, the hunger to improve, or the desire to prove something to yourself.
• Learned Habits: The more you push yourself, the easier it becomes. Over time, showing up even when unmotivated becomes second nature.
So while some may have a headstart, the grind, the focus, and the motivation? That’s something anyone can develop. It’s about making the choice—day after day—to get out there and do the work.
A successful padel player embodies a work ethic, state of mind, and commitment to perfection that set them apart.
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But we are all so different. What drives you? I’m not actually sure where my discipline and focus came from, I know I learned from my dad who always instilled in me how you should follow your dreams and work hard every day to achieve what you want. But somehow, since I was a little girl, I never seem to have had a problem, focusing on the things that I really want and putting all my focus and energy into making those things happen. Now I’m specifically referring to workouts or anything athletic here.
When it comes to my workouts, I have somehow taken this to a different level. I may not be the best player out there, but I am one of the hardest workers. Whether it was back in the days when I was running or doing triathlons or playing tennis, and now with regard to my Padel, my philosophy is always to keep working and perfecting and improving… Every single day!
When it was triathlon, I would be out running sprints on the track trying to improve my times by just a few seconds so that I had more on the run at the end of my race. Or doing endless measured time-trials on my bike. In the swimming pool, I was never the best swimmer, but I was out swimming three days a week at 5 AM to try and shave just a few seconds off my time to help me improve. I remember some mornings being in the freezing cold, standing at the side of the pool and I couldn’t wait to jump into the water where it was just a few degrees warmer than the cold air outside. And in relation to padel, the ball machine and a good hitting partner are my very best friends to do countless drills and repetitive exercises.
Some people might say that I have OCD, and I probably do, but you combine that with an intense passion for what I do and commitment to be the very best version of me and what you get is a hard worker, motivated and driven and able to get out day after day and strive for improvement.
So many times in my life, I go back to the feeling I had when I was doing my Ironman in Melbourne Australia. I got off the bike and my legs were completely shot. They were wobbling. I could barely walk and yet I had a marathon to run. I said to myself there is no way I can run 26 miles right now. But I can run 1 mile and all I did was tell myself 1 mile and one more mile and one more mile, and finally, I ran the marathon and crossed the finish line.
With regards to Padel, yes we all understand this addiction and I’m probably playing way too much, but I love it and it makes me happy. I’m the one that you’ll find on the ball machine at 6:30 in the morning perfecting a shot that my coach and I worked on in a class the day before. I will repeat it over and over again till I feel like I’ve mastered it. We all know this doesn’t mean that you step onto the court and have the perfect shot because in real life situation, things change, but it gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I’m working on it and ultimately in a real match situation I will have the confidence to try those shots.
You don’t need a ball machine to work hard like this, just getting onto the court with a partner who’s the same level as you and doing some drills, many of which can be found on YouTube or on Instagram reels is a perfect way to improve your game. Padel is a game of consistency and strategy and if you can make just one more ball back over the net until your appointment makes a mistake. You’re well on your way to being an outstanding padel player.
So I challenge you to dig deep, find what drives you and maybe step it up a notch. Work that little but harder, find a little more inside you and who knows what will happen. It’s all for the love of the game!
