The new year is coming and there’s always “rah rah hype” people talking about resolutions and goals. I’m all for making positive habitual change within your life, however those looking at this like “it’s time for the change” are either trying to sell you something or typically are the ones who are saying the same thing every year. I challenge you to change your thought process and not think about this time of change because it’s a new year but to make overall changes to better yourself for you. Changing your thought process around could be the small switch up you need to really get things rolling.
A “New Years resolution” isn’t going to stop you from making “poor” decisions when times get tough. You need to dig deeper than that and truly understand the why behind the want to change. Your brain is going to want to trick you into falling back to your previous routine because it’s comfortable and safe. That’s where a mindset change into “Play to win, not to not lose.” can help you actually make progress. However, you must realize that losses are inevitable…
- You are buying into giving it your all.
- Losses are not failures.
The urge to stay in your comfort zone is strong. After spending so much time there, it becomes home – you’re used to the surroundings and the view isn’t bad. Why rock the boat? Taking risks means failure is possible and that’s not something anyone wants to deal with!
But, remember this: “We’re playing to win, not to not lose.”
Shifting into this mindset pushes you to start giving it your all, and understanding that you don’t need to make perfect decisions every time. This shift opens your eyes to the fact that you will make mistakes and those mistakes are necessary learning opportunities.
You are in charge of building your own story. Without the loss, there’s no story at all. Those losses are not failures– they are opportunities to adjust the plan to set you up to achieve those goals or “resolutions”.
This year let’s fix the way you think about change and “resolutions.” Remember that you are in control of the choices you make. So play to win, not to not lose.
Also thank you to the Buffalo Bills for providing inspiration for this in their win over the New England Patriots. Go Bills.
– Coach Kyle Glickman
