Winning Matters

This is going to flip everything you think you know about winning on its head. Sure, taking part is great, but winning matters too. If you never win, you can lose the drive to continue learning and improving. Losing isn't a terrible experience in itself - it provides lessons that winning can not, especially for younger sportspeople who are figuring out how to handle the losses and become mentally tough. Losing does build character and can provide a certain amount of drive and purpose - but this isn't what we aim for. We play to win, don’t we? 

Becoming Mentally Tough

Becoming mentally tough is crucial if you’re going to be playing to the best of your ability in a pressured situation. Having a number of techniques for this is key. First, learn how to deal with negative thoughts and beliefs. Your self talk really matters. 

Don't linger on overly positive/negative outcomes, either. Being unable to let go of a mistake in the middle of a game could take you out of the moment and hinder the rest of your strategy. It can also help to focus on the process of training and improving, rather than the result. Hone in on the factors that you can control. 

Get a handle on your emotions if you haven’t already. This doesn’t mean you need to be emotionless, but you need to work on breaking the pattern of anger before you react angrily. You could get in a lot of trouble, and nobody likes a sore loser. 

Finally, visualize your performance to get ready for your game. Athletes all over the world swear by this!

Become A Winner

Keeping a growth mindset is key if you’re going to become a winner. Train like you’re second best and like you are always hunting down the next win or opponent - because you are. As soon as you accept that you are the best and begin training like it, it could be over for you. Always look to improve and strive for more. 

The fact is, we play to win. We have a primal instinct that compels us to achieve and make us want to do and be more. Winning gives us a huge high and confidence boost, and this helps us strive to get better and continue winning. You can’t deny that winning feels much better than losing, either. 

Ultimately, winning creates a life legacy that we can look back on with pride. Knowing we embraced and cultivated our talents as best we could can amount to both professional and personal wins, and these can compound. Success becomes the norm. 

We become more aware of and able to respect our minds and bodies and all they do for us, and how they work in tandem to help us succeed. We also start to pay more attention to our immediate environment, relaxation, diet, and other crucial factors that can impact our progress. With regular wins, we become more optimistic and believe a better future is right around the corner. 

If you’re not experiencing your winning streak yet, stay in the game. It can seem tough, but staying the course, adopting the right attitude, and training hard will give you your opportunity.