Winning isn’t everything – 100% true or 100% false?
“Winning isn’t everything. It’s how you play the game that counts.” This is such an old cliche that most people tune out when they hear it…. But it is true.
Go to any sales training seminar these days, and you will hear over and over again that you have to set goals; that you have to have a winning attitude. You hear that winning is everything. You need to concentrate completely on reaching your goal.
Nothing can be allowed to get in the way:
Not family.
Not friends.
Not sleep.
Not recreation.
Not health….
Give me a break! If you give up all these to reach your goal, to win, you won’t have much when you get there!
Winning is a moment in time, a point on the road of your life. It’s one-dimensional. It has no measurable substance. Winning exists for a split second, and then it’s gone. It’s over.
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Happiness is much more than winning
If you base your happiness in life on winning, you will have a very unhappy life.
I recall a great day. It wasn’t an unusual day. It was typical of almost any summer day on the coast in southern B.C. It wasn’t the day that made the day special. It was the way the moments were able to catch my attention that made that day memorable.
I was taking a break on the deck with my youngest son, enjoying a beautiful, balmy day, while watching the birds coming to the bird feeders in our back yard. I was amazed at the variety of birds visiting our home.
I could have been working on my blog, or submitting ads, or wading through my email, or helping my associates… but I was sitting in the sun enjoying the little things in life, like the birds and the warmth, and my son’s company. It was wonderful.
Life is full of opportunities to relax and enjoy little things. However, our industry teaches us to block out the little things so that we can concentrate on reaching our goals – on winning. What that means is that we’re spending all our time to let enjoy a very brief, infinitely fleeting moment: the tiny flash in the space- time continuum when we reach our goal.
Winning is what happens when you reach the end of the game. It is what happens when the ribbon breaks at the finish line. It is the moment the horn blows and the stands start to empty. Everything is over.
Don’t get me wrong! I’m not against winning. In fact, I really enjoy winning. I like that all too brief feeling of elation when I’ve reached my goal – when I’ve won the game.
But it is the GAME I enjoy. I play the game with winning in mind, but I play the game for the FUN of it. Most of my time involves playing the game – not winning it. That comes at the end. I’m going to enjoy playing the game. I’m going to enjoy everything that comes along with the game:
My family.
My friends.
My sleep.
My recreation.
My health.
The little moments spent on the deck with my wife and kids…
The other day, I took a break with my son.
I relaxed in the sun.
I was amazed by the variety of birds that live in this area.
I was amazed by how much my eleven-year-old son knows about birds!
Finally, during that very enjoyable break, a new article for my blog took shape in my head… and I wasn’t even working on my blog!
I could have spent that time working on my blog, but I probably would not have written this article. Instead, I would have used someone else’s article – perhaps one that you have already read somewhere else.
Life is too short and friends are too few to spend it for that dot on the time-line called winning. Cherish every moment you have. Pay attention to your family and friends. Read more of your email. Go for a walk. Lie in the sun. Sleep!!!
To play the game properly, you need to have a goal in mind, but the real enjoyment comes from playing the game. That is how MOST of your life is spent. Winning is great, but you cannot hold onto that moment when you win.
If you want to really enjoy your life (you only have one!), you need to enjoy the time in between setting a goal and reaching it. You will have a far better life AND you will be far more likely to reach your goal. You will be healthier, happier, and a REAL winner.
Dave Cottrell is opinionated, compassionate, and passionate about people, marketing and online business. He does a lot of digging, experimenting and research, and writes like crazy about a wide variety of topics and subjects. He is the owner of many websites and blogs; you can read his rants and find out more about him at https://www.davecottrell.com/
This article can be shared freely as long as this box remains intact. Copyright © 2019 David H. Cottrell. All rights reserved.
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