The one habit that makes me sharper at work

I’ve played cricket semi-professionally for most of my life.

Hours under the sun. Training until my palms ached. Standing on the field, knowing one wrong call could lose the game.

Today, I don’t play cricket much after my tendon rupture. But I casually shoot hoops every week at a nearby basketball court.

It’s a pick-up game. Nothing serious. But the funny thing is… every time I play, I feel sharper when I work. And if there’s one piece of advice I’d give every founder, it’s this: Play a sport. Any sport.

Not just for the fitness. But because sport teaches you what no book, course, or podcast ever will.

The only way to learn pressure is to feel it.

You can read all about “decision-making under stress.” But until you’ve stood at the free-throw line with everyone watching… Until you’ve faced the last ball with five runs to win…

You don’t really know how your mind reacts under pressure. When your body tenses. When your thoughts race. When fear quietly tells you, “Don’t mess this up.”

In those moments, you either freeze or focus. And over time, sport teaches you the difference.

It teaches you to breathe. To stick to the process, not panic. To take the next shot, no matter how the last one went.

Sound familiar?

It’s the same skill you need as a founder. When a campaign tanks. When a client ghosts you. When you're two months from running out of cash.

Panic doesn’t help. But focus does. Here’s what I love about sports:

You always get immediate feedback. You know immediately if your plan worked. You see if your strategy holds up when the clock is ticking.

You learn to adjust. To adapt. To stay humble.

No excuses. No hiding.

And that mindset translates directly into business. Because let’s be honest — building a company is just a long game of trial and error. The sooner you embrace feedback, the faster you improve. Sports make that muscle stronger.

If you follow any sport, you know this word well: Clutch.

Clutch is what they call players who show up when the game is on the line.

LeBron. Kobe. Dame Time.

Not because they never miss. But because they show up, again and again, even after missing. They trust their process.

Founders need that same clutch mindset. Not every pitch will land. Not every product will hit. But the great ones?

They keep showing up. They take the next shot.

See, business is nothing but a series of plays. Sometimes you run a fast break. Sometimes you slow it down and set up. Sometimes you miss and sometimes you win.

But the rhythm, the flow, the patience?

Sport will teach you. Better than any MBA. If you want to be a better founder, I have one weird tip: Join a game. Pick up a racket. Shoot a few hoops.

Then tell me how your next business decision feels.

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