How to Play a Winning Game
I'm
tired of people saying it's ok to fail. It helps you learn etc... It's
encouraging, but it doesn't help.
It doesn't bring out the fighter in me. It makes me meek, it makes me think I have many more shots at something and it really just makes me stay exactly where I am.
I would rather have someone pump me up with words of encouragement, words that drive me toward success, words that simply say, "It's ok to fail, but please don't make it a habit." This would actually make me work faster in the direction of winning.
Experimentation, trial and error, learning curves, all help you get closer to a working and winning formula. But why must we pretend that "failure" is ok? That it does not, in fact, weaken our spirits and demotivate us.
We all know our words become our thoughts and our thoughts eventually become our actions. I believe that when you even sub-consciously condone failure, you're essentially setting yourself up for exactly that - failure.
Of course failure can teach you many things... it can help you gain wisdom from all that went wrong... it can stop you from doing things that DON'T work... but it cannot tell you what DOES work.
It reminds me of a time in my first job, fresh out of my postgrad, when my colleague once said, "You'll only learn what not to do here." Sad but true - this philosophy of eliminating what doesn't work or what has "failed" - rather than focusing on what works - defines most of our lives.
Thus I feel it may work better to approach life with a winning attitude instead. And to be a winner you need to play a winning game. You need to have your eye on the prize trophy, that winning number or anything else you had in mind. Because if you settle for less, you'll only get a consolation prize at best.
And that's not what you truly want, is it? You want to win, you want to stand on that block that says "Number 1". It's a number's game out there, and let's not fool ourselves into thinking it's not! If you notice most sports champions and world record holders work toward breaking a previous record, going above a certain number.
And that can only happen if you stay focused on winning!
Here I list a few approaches that can help you get closer to playing a winning game. These could be used just about anywhere - in your enterprise, at work, at home, in your relationships... use it where you will and see the changes they make to your life on the whole.
Approach #1: Aim for bull's eye
Life is like a dartboard, you need to aim right at the core of what you want. If you set out with unfixed goals, willing to see where the wind takes you, get prepared to reach everywhere but the bull's eye. Fine-tuning your goals and understanding exactly how you wish to attain them are the starting points for any win.
Most achievers will tell you they knew exactly what their targets were before they achieved them. Being specific to the point of decimals, being accurate through research and being ready with resources are some of the ways to start preparing for the big win.
Approach #2: Define what works
You already have a clear understanding of your strengths, and with experience you know exactly what has worked for you in the past. For example, if you know your peak working hours are early in the morning, schedule activities that need maximum concentration and focus in those hours. This strategy will give you greater chances of success.
Creating an environment that works for you will help you reach your targets more easily. You won't be grappling against odds and the outcome will be as envisioned. So first set the stage with everything that already works.
Approach #3: Bank on your resources
Your resources include everything from your skill set to your deep reserves of will power. Very often you will need to bank on one or more of your resources. Some activities may need a combination of your most unique skill or talent combined with people management or time management skills. At other times all you may need is some staying power.
Like the phrase goes, "A winner never quits" - and it takes a lot to keep putting that thought into action. Sometimes it takes everything you've got. You need to keep pushing yourself up after a fall, you need to burn the midnight oil, and you often need to bury your ego, which brings me to my next point...
Approach #4: Do what it takes
A winner is only focused on one thought - winning. And he will do everything he can to make it happen. There are no "ifs" and "buts" in a winner's vocabulary, there is just a desire to win. Very often a winner is working against the tide, going against convention, fighting ridicule and warding off internal doubt too. But what stands out is his "never-say-die" attitude.
Winning only happens when you immerse yourself completely in what you're doing. A total surrender of the body, mind and soul to the task at hand. When you commit your whole being to something, you will get complete satisfaction from it, and even if you don't win, you will be happy that at least you put your best foot forward.
Approach #5: Play by the rules
There is no short cut to winning. You can't circumvent rules and ethics to suit you. Because it then amounts to foul play and there are only so many times you can get a penalty in any game. After which, you may need to exit the game altogether.
Be careful about the decisions you take. Winning is important but not at the cost of your reputation and ethics. And like the phrase goes, you can only break the rules when you know them. So play by the rules until such a time as when you're ready to redefine the entire game... when you can make it better than it already was... then you will be called a 'game-changer'.
Approach #6: Have a contingency plan
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket", is the common saying. So just in case you're winning game didn't give you a win finally... start working on other wins soon after. Don't whine and feel dejected, simply pick up the pieces and go make plans for the next big win.
Use all your learnings from Plan A to make Plan B a bigger success. And remember to focus only on the positives - keep a clear eye on your strengths, identify your winning areas, dip into the endless well of motivation hidden inside you and get ready to win once again.
In other words, get poised for success, play only to win and do what it takes to get there... even if you fail, you know you played a winning game!
By Ritika Bajaj |
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