Are you playing the game of life to win? - Self Help

<p>I have always believed that sport can provide many valuable lessons for life, team work, discipline, fair play, learning how to lose as well as win, to name but a few.</p>

<p>It made me think about how often in life are we playing to win, or merely not to lose. For many, the fear of failure is so great, that it prevents us from taking the chances necessary to succeed. But in playing safe, we run the risk of never achieving anywhere near our potential for success.</p>

<p>Thomas J Watson, the founder of computer giant IBM was once famously quoted:</p>

<p>"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple really. Double your rate of failure. You're thinking of failure as the enemy of success, but it isn't at all... you can be discouraged by failure -- or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you'll find success. On the far side."</p>

<p>Think of a tennis match, the server hits the ball at incredible speeds towards a tiny spot, often just clipping the line. High risk but high reward. If the first service goes out, the server will usually try a safer, more predictable second serve. This often results in getting beaten by the return. In cricket, the batsman or team that are merely aiming to survive will often score much less than if they had played with more adventure. Consider also the football / soccer teams who are so focused on defense that they have little or no chance of ever winning.</p>

<p>The same is true for life away from the sports field. Imagine for second a pendulum, with failure to the left and success to the right. The more the pendulum swings into failure, the more it will swing into success. Conversely if it stays in the centre or only ever swaying slightly into failure, it can consequently only ever experience little success.</p>

<p>How then can you challenge and embrace failure? Often the perceived fear of failure is far worse than failing itself. Courage isn't the absence of fear but acting in spite of fear. Take a deep breath and go for it! Build up your courage muscles by taking just a few tiny steps every day.</p>

<p>Are there sales calls that you are putting off or talking yourself out of, is there a business or personal connection that you would love to make, but have convinced yourself that they are going to reject you? Do you desire to learn a new skill, take a course or start a new venture but are fearful of what 'others' might say?</p>

<p>As my friend Dr Terry Cole-Whittaker titled her bestselling book " "What you think of me is none of my business". Worrying about what other's might think is truly a waste of time and energy and is a poor excuse for not achieving the success in life that you seek.</p>

<p>As you go about your day today remember that pendulum. Take it back just a little further into failure and celebrate as it swings into success.</p>

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