5 life lessons given by Sachin Tendulkar

In the modern-day world, the word 'great' will arguably rank as the most overused adjective to describe someone or something. Google search of the word states it's meaning to be "of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above average.".

There are personalities who fall under this category with no dispute, one such is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. A 24-year career which culminated in the most emotional farewell in 2013 saw the cricketer scale every peak that exists, giving a billion Indians plenty of unforgettable memories.

So, what can we as mortal souls learn from him: Here are five things.

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5. Constant 'Kaizen' key to success

In management, the word 'Kaizen' is often the most discussed word and rightly so. It refers to continuous improvement to a process so as to deliver better results.

One of the aspects that made Tendulkar the batsman that he became was the manner in which he kept working on his game, looking to eliminate every little flow that crept into his game.

Chandu Borde, who was the manager of the Indian team during the 2007 tour of England, recalled an incident once when the cricketer fell trying to play a ball to the on-side when he could have survived had he played in straighter.

The following day, he went to the nets and he began to play it a lot more straighter. The lesson to keep getting better and keep improving one's self can certainly be imbibed from his career.

4. Staying humble

The ability to stay grounded despite having achieved so much

Success can two kinds of impact on people: It can keep them grounded and drive them forward or breed arrogance and slowly lead to their decline.

For the benefit of him as well as the Indian public, achievements kept Tendulkar humble. Right through his career, he stayed the same person and that is evident from the manner in which his old peers spoke about him long after their careers were over.

In his autobiography 'Playing It My Way', Tendulkar recalls an advice given to him by his father when was a young boy.

He says, “If you remain humble, people will give you love and respect even after you have finished with the game. As a parent, I would be happier hearing people say, “Sachin is a good human being” than “Sachin is a great cricketer” any day.”

It is certainly something that we can put into our lives as well.

3. Relish responsibility

The reliance on Tendulkar was at

it's

peak in the 1990s

Any cricket supporter who followed the game in the 1990s would admit that while there were six or seven batsmen in the side, the wicket of Tendulkar for the opposition mattered more than anyone else.

He was the lynchpin of the side and the responsibility seemed to bring the best out of him.

Between 1990 and 1999, Tendulkar's lowest average with the bat was 69.08 in 50-over cricket and in Test cricket, it was 19.50 in 1991.

It almost seemed like more the pressure fell on his shoulder, the better he got as a batsman.

2. Let pitfalls make you, not break you

The tennis elbow phase tested Tendulkar like no other

It is inevitable that in a career as long as that, Tendulkar had to have setbacks in the form of injuries. The one which impacted him the most came in 2004 when a tennis elbow almost made him contemplate retirement.

Once he recovered from that phase, it took about three years, we saw a new batsman and post the debacle of the 2007 World Cup, a new Tendulkar emerged, conquering the world like only he could.

Tendulkar began to understand that he had to sacrifice few things to extend his career like limiting the amount of ODI cricket and that helped him and the side as he became a better Test player, with each passing season.

1. Chase your dreams, no matter what

2nd of April 2011: When a childhood dream was

realized

When India won the 1983 World Cup, Tendulkar was 10 years old. On the 25th of June that year, a seed was sown in his mind to do what Kapil Dev and his men had done that day at Lord's.

From the time he began playing, winning the World Cup was a dream that he wanted to fulfill more than any other. He came close in 1996, even closer in 2003, but after the heartbreak of 2007, he finally achieved it at home in 2011 when the Men In Blue beat Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium.

Even for a player as colossal as him, it took 22 years to realize his dream. But most importantly, he never stopped chasing it.