If you were one of the nearly fifty million people that watched Floyd Mayweather defeat Conor McGregor on Saturday, what you saw was not only the greatest fighter of his generation continue his (now) fifty fight winning streak - but a lesson in the art of patience and composure.
The entire reason for watching this fight, at least in my opinion, was to see if a UFC/MMA athlete, in the prime of his career, could take down the guy who many consider to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time.
And within the first four rounds, you couldn't watch the fight and think that McGregor was not on the path of pulling off one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Coming into each round in an aggressive fashion that admittedly surprised Mayweather, the UFC Champion was quicker and more effective - landing quality jabs,and clearly had the fight in hand.
Mayweather on the other hand, threw very few punches, choosing rather to wear McGregor out through continued patience and gain feedback for his plan of attack in the later rounds.
And after a 10th round TKO that left McGregor wondering where he was, the Irishman's response to Mayweathers victory was not praise of his technical skills, but more so praise of his mental game:
"I don't think that there was skill there. I just think there was composure and experience there."
And whether you are an athlete or involved in business, what McGregor said about the importance of patience and composer needs to be understood and implemented.
Lets took at why both of these skills (which can be learned) and why they can help you start achieving your goals:
First, patience can beat aggression. Unfortunately, patience is not something that the modern-day athlete, business person, or any normal person for that matter is told to is important. You are constantly told to go faster, get work done quicker, win now, right this second. Especially when trying to achieve a goal that may take you some time, whether it is a marathon, a report that takes you a few weeks to put together, or in the case of Mayweather, a fight that lasts several rounds - having patience is key. There is no reason to go right to the lead of a race that lasts two hours if you can let others do the work for you, no reason to do sloppy work in trying to show someone how good an employee you are, or go for the knockout early. Take your time. Focus on the process and show patience.
Secondly, stay composed, no matter how stressful the situation. Composure is usually taught from coaches or other leaders in the form of being told, "hey, calm down!" or "knock it off a focus," and the frequent "keep it together, lets go!" Being composed means that you are able to stay focused in the moment. You may feel stressed, overwhelmed, or out matched. But what matters is what can you do in that moment? Can you stay committed to the plan you have created? Can you make good adjustments via the awareness you have of what is happening right then and there? Those who can do all of this, even when you confidence is down are ones that will not only win, but when facing situations in which they are not supposed to do well in, can shock the world.
Be committed to having composure and patience - no matter what you are doing. That commitment can be the difference in you achieving your goals and just dreaming about them. Don't be a dreamer. Be a doer.