You know what it is like with sports – you see overjoyed faces of those that won mixed with the disappointed look of those that didn’t quite get there.
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There’s something very immediate about sports, it’s then and there. Years and years of hard work comes together in that moment of truth – where you think: will my hard work really pay off?
If I don’t win, it will be very disappointing of course. Just like anywhere else in life. You’ve probably experienced the same at moments in life – in school, at work, in sports. It’s OK. Non-perfect results, as disappointing and painful as they may be, are also the source of great future success.
Look at any sports event. The real champions are extremely focused on what they want to achieve and at the same time they are able to let go of that expectation – they don’t let the goal become something that they start worrying about NOT achieving – instea, they focus on giving it their all. They are also strong enough to ‘get back up’ if they don’t win, as they know they gave it their best then and there. They also look for what they can tweak in their performance for next time. They are well aware that they will lose at times, but they don’t let it get them down, they use it to trigger themselves into greatness.
They use the moment of truth to think:
Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn
How cool is that thinking! Success = getting up more times than you fall down.
It’s exactly like when we learnt to walk as kids. Imagine if we had given up and thought “no, I’ll never make it”….
So does it matter if you win or lose?
We would say no. You see, you win either way – either in that precise moment OR over time. It’s all a mind’s game, your mind, and how you choose to look at your results.
So can we please promise each other something?
If it’s important enough to us, then let’s take every result as useful feedback, and try again. When we do that, that’s when every moment becomes important. What do you say? Shall we make the promise?
About the authors
Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, award-winning authors of ”The Team Formula”.
Their latest book, multi-award-winning ”Leading Teams – 10 Challenges: 10 Solutions”, published by Financial Times International is a practical tool for building winning teams. You can download a free chapter of the book at www.leadingteamsbook.com
Praise for ”Leading Teams: ”Enjoyable to read. Simple to understand. Practical to implement. A must read for team members or leaders”Debbie Fogel-Monnissen, Executive Vice President, International Markets Finance Officer, Mastercard, NY, USA
