We all strive for success.
Whether in work, education, fitness, or beyond, success is a key motivator for many people.
But the definition of success we often forget to assess is the difference between committing to winning and trying not to fail.
To achieve our full potential, we must head full force toward winning, instead of away from failure.
At first, these two approaches may not seem so different, but the ways that the two mindsets impact our motivation and resilience are key.
Today, we review the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, as well as the importance of developing the win-all approach.
In It to Win It
The first approach is the commitment to winning. When you commit to winning, you are in it to win it. No matter what your task is, you are playing to win. With this mindset, you are hyper-focused on your goals and working toward advancement.
Benefits of Being Committed to Winning
- Focused on moving forward
- Create a path to advancement
- Eager and excited to “play”
- Comfortable taking chances
- Working quickly
- Create big goals
- Creative thinking
- Resilient to obstacles and unplanned events
What to Keep in Mind
Playing to win provides many key benefits for mindset and motivation. However, it can also have some drawbacks when not approached correctly. People who are in it to win it like to work fast and think positively, but this can also lead to errors and unpreparedness. When you have your eyes on the prize, it’s easy to take every possible chance, even when you may be served by taking a moment to think. Ultimately, committing to winning is a positive approach, but be sure to take a step back to think things through before pushing forward.
Avoiding Failure
On the other side of the same coin is trying not to fail. Avoiding failure is different from trying to win in key ways. People who are focused on avoiding failure often perceive goals as responsibilities. They are concerned about what could go wrong and all of the potential missteps they could take. Instead of aggressively pursuing “winning”, they try everything they can to maintain what they have and not lose.
Drawbacks of Trying Not to Lose
- Risk-averse
- Hypervigilance
- See what could go wrong
- Tend to work slower
- Less creativity
- Experience anxiety when things go wrong
- Stick to the same ways of doing things
- Easily stressed, especially by short deadlines
- Overly cautious
What to Learn from Those Who Avoid Failure
Trying not to fail leads to slower work and hyper-focus on risks. This can result in overlooking opportunities or avoiding them because of fear. However, we can still learn some good qualities from those who are prevention-minded. Those who avoid failure do work slower, but their work tends to be more accurate and deliberate. They’re able to anticipate obstacles and avoid big losses.
What’s the Right Approach?
As with most things, there are pros and cons to each mindset. However, a cultural struggle that we face is the visibility of failure. Failure tends to hit harder and be more evident than potential success. When you try your hardest to do something and fail, it hurts and disappoints. It’s far easier to see and feel this failure ahead of time that it is the potential success you could achieve. While it’s still good to predict challenges and be diligent in your approach, to find the success you deserve you must aggressively move forward and attack new opportunities.
How to Develop a Winning Mindset
- Remind yourself of your strengths
- Revisit past success. How did they make you feel? How did you achieve them? What did you learn?
- Instead of asking what could go wrong, ask what could go right.
- Take the initiative. Instead of reacting, be proactive in your approach.
- Work with an accountability partner to stay on track with playing to win.
Committed to Winning Your Health Journey
Every goal you have comes with the risk of failure, but you cannot allow that risk to overpower you. When it comes to a successful body transformation, you must commit to winning. You have to enter your journey ready to run after your goals. If something does not go as planned, you must rebound quickly and get on track. Those who “play to win” control what they can and don’t focus on all of the ways they could fail. That’s exactly what you must do to dominate your body transformation.
At JOC, you get a dedicated coach on your side that is ready to help you chase your goals. You will be set up for success through nutrition, exercise, and (perhaps the most important) mindset. We help you every step of the way to run toward winning and transforming your lifestyle. At JOC coaching, we are committed to winning and we will help you do the same. Commit to winning today by joining The Body Academy today!
