“If you ain’t first, you’re last. You know what I’m talking about?” Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights
Let’s face it, we all want to win, right? That competitive edge is built into each of us whether it’s arm wrestling, making the next big sale, winning the Tour de France, or simply getting to the next level in that stupid video game. It’s a DNA fragment within each of us that has pushed our human race to ever greater heights and continues to do so each day. I hate losing as much as I hate people doing 35 mph in the fast lane, but hey, it happens.
The reality is there are far more losers than winners in any competition. But understanding we can learn just as much from losing as we can from being the victor is an important lesson. Everyone fails at some point at something and how you react to that failure will determine where you go next. Lincoln, Edison, Richard Branson, Ted Turner, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs all lost at some point in their quest, but they all came back stronger and went on to win. Here are some steps you can take after a loss to ensure next time you finish first:
- Be humble. If you’ve lost at something, admit it, congratulate the winner, and move on. Don’t beat yourself up and realize you’ve been given a chance to assess your performance and make adjustments as needed.
- Visualize. Sit down and recall your performance to determine what went wrong. Then, visualize your desired outcome, how you want it to go down next time, and see that in your head over and over again. In addition to the other steps you’re taking to improve, take time every day to envision yourself winning and taking home the gold (so to speak).
- Plan. What did you do right and what did you do wrong? Would more practice help? Make a list of the things you need to change or work on and formulate a plan to make it happen. Losses are temporary setbacks and with work, effort, and a plan you can come back even stronger and claim victory next time.
- Be Passionate. Mediocrity is for losers. Winners are passionate and use this obsession to push themselves even when the going gets tough, and believe me, it will. Thomas Edison tried 9,999 times (or thereabouts) to create a light bulb and failed and had he stopped there…well, thankfully he didn’t. His passion for his work kept him going. Be fanatical if you must and persistently pursue your dream to its realization.
- Always be Improving. Once you’ve done all the above and are the winner, know you are now everyone else's target. Don’t let victory make you lazy. Always be looking for ways to improve your performance to keep your lead over the competition.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to win every time because as George Brett, former Kansas City Royals third baseman said, “If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out.” And that my friend is motivation enough to turn my losses into wins each and every time.
After several decades on-the-radio as a DJ and traffic reporter, Steve Woodburn MAS, stumbled, as most do, into the world of promotional products. He spent 27 years on the distributor side and the last three as a supplier, which gives him a unique perspective on this crazy business and life in general.