This was a difficult post for me. I usually just type and publish, but I found myself going back and rereading what I wrote because I didn’t feel like I was getting my point across effectively…

A win is a win is a win… Or is it? Are all wins the same? On the surface yes, the outcome of winning is all the same. However, there is a process to winning that I believe is much more important than any single victory.

Winning should be defined, but can be difficult to do so. Many people take winning as one single act. A single moment when your hand is raised as the winner. Therefore, you either win or you don’t. However, the outcome of winning shouldn’t limit your thoughts on winning.

While there is heavy emphasis on the outcome of winning, there is a process to winning, and competitors should critically evaluate and define their process. I like to divide this up into 3 different parts: The preparation, the competition, and the reflection.

The preparation is everything you do 4-6 weeks prior to a competition. Drilling, live matches, strength and conditioning, visualization, stretching, recovery, sleep, diet. The competition is everything that takes place on the day of winning. Warming up, arousal, performance, recovery, diet, mindset, strategy, technique, being coachable. The reflection is everything that you do as a result of the tournament. Video analysis, drilling, mental and physical strengths, technique. Winning is the culmination of these 3 parts, and not just the outcome of getting your hand raised at the end of a match.

Ultimately, for me at least, winning is in execution. Did I execute my technique and strategy effectively on the day of the tournament? Did I prepare? Did I reflect on the experience and make adjustments to improve? If I can say yes to all three then it’s a victory. Regardless of the outcome. In fact, if all three are a yes then usually the outcome is winning the match.

There are always outside circumstances that are out of control from the process. Those are just inevitable and need to be shrugged off as inconsequential. Sometimes your opponent is just better. How you reflect and improve to prepare for the next opportunity is critical in winning.

In summary, understand the process and define your wins. Doing so will give you much more satisfaction from your competition experience. This process will help you build momentum from one experience to the next and help you break through walls of adversity. Go win!