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Beating the Odds

Stop Thinking About Winning!

Think about something you’d love to win: a championship, a job, etc.

Now that you’ve thought of it, stop thinking about winning and start doing.

This advice comes from Dr. Rob Bell in an article titled “How To Focus on the Process of Winning.” And here’s a tip of the hat to ex-NHL player Warren Nye of Ultimate Hockey Source for relaying the article.

Dr. Bell’s advice isn’t necessarily new. Mental training experts have long preached process over product. (Product is the prize, process is how you get there.) What Bell adds are five specific questions to help you improve at the process. They are:

1. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always afraid to make them?
2. What is your greatest fear and has it ever become a reality?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like doing and not do so many things that we would like to do?
4. What is the one thing that you really wish to do but you have not done yet, and what is holding you back?
5. What are you most grateful for in your life and why?

Pick any one of these questions and focus on it. For instance, regarding question No. 1, what is your reaction to making mistakes? Do you beat yourself up over them, or do you learn from them and try again?

If you change your attitude from hating and regretting mistakes to making them and learning from them, you have improved your process and now stand a better chance of winning.

The very act of admitting mistakes can bring benefits. When you can acknowledge your failings without anger or blame, you go deeper into process. Admitting mistakes lets you stop wasting your energy on defensiveness. It frees your mind to address the necessary tasks.

Says Dr. Rob Gilbert, a professor of sport psychology at Montclair State University, “Your dreams are what you want. Your actions are what you get.”

Stop thinking and start doing. You will beat the odds.

Thank you Dr. Bell.

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Thank you for visiting Total Game Plan. If your team, group or business needs a motivational speaker, please email coachtully @ totalgameplan.com. Here are some other resources for your success:

Think Better, Win More!” will give you a mental game to match your physical game.

To get better at anything, check out “The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success.”

Do you coach females? Are you a female athlete, or the parent of one? Here’s “Was It Something I Said? A Guide to Coaching Female Athletes” by Vanessa Sullivan and Mike Tully

Need some motivation? Everyone needs it now and then. Open any page of “Thank God You’re Lazy! The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back” for a story or a quote to lift your spirits.

Are you a teacher, boss or sports coach? Here’s “Ten Things Great Coaches Know” by Mike Tully and Gary Pritchard.

Discussion

2 comments for “Stop Thinking About Winning!”

  1. Coach Mike,
    Great point about on how focusing on process rather than the “product” bring you a step closer to achieving your goal!
    You gave A great example for question #1, can you give simar examples for question #2 -5?!
    Thanks,
    mike Liu

    Posted by Mike Liu | March 6, 2015, 10:05 pm
  2. Thank you, Mike!

    Posted by Coach Tully | March 9, 2015, 4:05 am

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