Playing not to lose? You’ve already lost!

OH BOY, here we go again! We can guarantee that anyone who’s participated in or been a fan of athletics has witnessed the playing not to lose paralysis.

Nothing is more frustrating from a fan’s perspective then when the dreaded “uh oh” look appears on the faces of a team that’s letting the lead slip away. They’ve allowed the momentum to switch to their opponent, and now they look SCARED! For whatever reason, people seem to take on a minimize mistakes mentality and become risk-fakers instead of risk-takers. They’ve stopped performing to their potential and have been paralyzed by the fear of losing!

Some teams/players seem to have made it a reoccurring habit; essentially driving their loyal fans insane (DA BEARS!). What those fans, who are so critical of the teams they follow may not realize, is that they may be doing the exact same thing in their given profession. Playing not to lose in life is no way to live. So how do we avoid setting the cruise control, and instead, PLAY to WIN as athletes and professionals?

1. Willing to take risks allows you to put yourself ahead and the opponents away for good. Ever heard the equation big risks=big rewards or fortune rewards bravery?

2. Ignore the negative (“here we go again” “I hope we don’t blow it”) thoughts from creeping in. If you feel yourself   tensing up change your thoughts immediately! The power of positive thinking is crucial to maintaining an advantage. You must always believe in yourself and prove the doubters wrong!

3. No surrender, do not let up and keep the pedal to the metal.

 

I've Got GOALS...and Soul

There is 1 important commonality in many instances of success. Any guesses? Think back to a time when you worked hard to achieve something that meant so much to you or your team. While you were working toward that special something, you had in mind or could visualize what it was going to take to get what you desired, call it a plan. Whether it was an A on a paper, a team award, a promotion for a job, or as simple as losing 10 pounds ---YOU were driven to get exactly what you wanted, and I can bet it was quite fulfilling when you finally did.

Those end results are what we would call GOALS (yes we are so profound) and everything that is worth anything in life requires setting goals. Whether it is being that successful athlete, successful coworker or building a successful family you must have the ability to dream up something magical (THE GOAL) and work diligently until it becomes reality (SUCCESS). Here is our recipe for GOAL setting:

G+O+A+L=S (success)


Go big or go home! Always shoot for the stars when it comes to setting your goals.
Organize a plan. How will you attain your goals and what do you need to do to get there? Think small incremental steps and picture the end result.
Assess. Take time to reflect and re-evaluate your goals. It’s okay to make changes to your plan, but never give up!
Love what you do. You’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to make your goals become reality.
SUCCESS, Cherish and enjoy the moment, then get back on the GOAL trail.