Playing To Win

Since we’re still early in 2007 I thought I’d offer some motivational guidance in hopes that it might focus your efforts in the year ahead. Want to succeed? It’s easier than you might think…just don’t quit. Strip away the excuses, rationalizations and justifications and the only thing standing between you and whatever your objective may be is what you see staring back at you when you look in the mirror each morning. In today’s post I’ll examine the benefits of playing to win…

My first football coach used to say: “Don’t even bother showing up if you’re not going to play to win…” Mind you I tend to be a bit competitive, but even so, that phrase has stuck with me my entire life. I don’t often bother with taking on an endeavor unless I plan to accomplish the task at hand and that means not quitting until I meet the objective. It is that “refuse to lose” and “never say die” attitude that I picked-up on the playing field and had further reinforced during my time in the military that provides me with a competitive advantage. I may not be the smartest, the most talented or the luckiest person, but I guarantee you that I am the hardest working individual you’ve ever come across.

I have found that dedication, determination, attention to detail, commitment and focus are the traits that have been most valuable to me throughout the years and are therefore the strengths that I tend to play to. The good news is this…if you examine the aforementioned traits you’ll quickly see that I possess no special skill and I have no secret tricks up my sleeve. Rather the things that have allowed me to serve my clients well and achieve success are things that anyone can harness and leverage if they have one thing…the desire to do so.

I could certainly paint a more complex picture of what it takes to be successful by citing esoteric management theories, but the truth of the matter is that I just don’t quit until I get the job done. I don’t spend my time complaining about the challenges and obstacles, rather I spend my time solving problems and creating solutions. If my objective is to get to the other side of the wall I don’t really care if I go over the wall, under the wall, around the wall or through the wall…I just care that I get to the other side. While I might spend a bit of time evaluating the most efficient strategy for getting to the other side of said wall, it will ultimately be my focus on the tactical execution of conquering the challenge that will determine my success. A bias toward action is always a better path than falling prey to analysis paralysis.

I once played an entire half of a football game with a fractured ankle, early in my career I chose to liquidate personal assets to meet payroll (and didn’t take a check), I’ve gone as many as 4 days in a row without sleeping to stay the course and solve a critical issue, I’ve helped to create wealth and opportunity for my clients, I’ve led teams to achieve things that others said couldn’t be accomplished, I’ve kept my family a priority having raised two wonderful children and having been married for almost 23 years and the list could go on…My point in describing these actions is not to pat myself on the back for anyone could have done these things, but the reality is that most people don’t. They choose to accept defeat…they don’t play to win…They aren’t willing to do what it takes to be successful…They quit.

My message to you for 2007 is simply this: Play to win…Define your vision, refine your mission, architect your strategy, set your goals, implement your tactics and initiate your processes. Stay focused and do not quit until you’ve met your objectives…May your passion become your purpose and I wish you great happiness and prosperity in the year ahead…



To learn more about this author, visit Mike Myatt's Website.

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