My client Rachel is moving as fast as she can. Every day she 
is running the marathon called "success" at lightening speed. 
Meetings, client projects, telephone calls, leadership 
commitments, volunteer responsibilities. You name it, she does 
it. She is frustrated, overwhelmed, and just plain exhausted 
doing everything that needs to be done to be a success.

The problem is her motivation is all wrong. Rachel is swimming 
really fast so she won't drown vs. swimming fast to get to the 
results she wants.

It doesn't. 

Rachel has a deep dark secret. And the secret is that she is 
afraid of failing. She is afraid that if she stops and takes a 
breath that it will all fall apart. Her debt is looming. All the 
stuff she should have done two years ago but didn't is haunting 
her. She is afraid that someone will find out that maybe she 
doesn't know what she is doing. So she plays hard and fast to 
make sure that she doesn't fail. Swimming hard and fast not to 
drown is just plain exhausting.

What if Rachel was swimming fast to win the gold medal? What if 
every day she got in the water focused on swimming to get to the 
other side in the fastest, most direct route possible? What could 
be different about her experience?

That's exactly what I asked Rachel to do. Every day, get in the 
game of success with the idea that you are playing to win. It was 
like a big rock was lifted off her shoulders. Her mood improved. 
Her focus was on what she did want - more success. With her focus 
on her "big game" she began to attract more clients, more 
significant opportunities, more marketing partners and (most 
importantly) more fun. By playing to win you play the game with 
a mindset of success.

Are you playing to win or not to lose? Here is how to tell:

You are playing not to lose if you:

* Focus on what could go wrong 
* Are afraid of what people might say 
* Have goals that move you "away from" what you don't want- 
  Insist on playing in your comfort zone 
* Surround yourself with people who think small or don't believe 
  in you 

You are playing to win if you:

* Focus on creating your dream, goal or desired outcome (and know 
  when you will get there) 
* Play with people who are making A LOT more $$ than you 
* Challenge yourself constantly to achieve MASSIVE results 
* Consistently give yourself a raise, increase your revenue and 
  enjoy profits 
* Commit to learning from others that you respect and admire how 
  to increase your skills as a business owner 

Which one are you? And which one would you like to be more of?

It is a choice. Every day choose to be that person who is playing 
to win. When a situation comes up that makes you unsure, ask 
yourself, "What would it look like if I was playing to win?" Just 
decide to play to win - swim for the gold medal- rather than play 
not to lose. You will have more energy, more freedom, more fun, 
and...more money! Sound good to you? Yeah, me too!
 

Melanie Benson Strick offers keynotes speeches, mentoring, 
training and products designed to get people out of overwhelm 
and onto the success fast-track. For your FREE copy of "The 
5 Massive Mistakes that can Put you Out of Business..and How 
to Avoid Them", visit http://www.SuccessConnections.com .