Harness the Will to Win

By Ralph Jean-Paul

How is it possible for athletes to sacrifice their bodies and spend endless hours training?  How are successful business leaders able to bounce back after losing millions in a failed business?  What is it that enables unexplained courage, grit, and determination? 

It is the same thing that made Michael Jordan an icon.  It was what made Abraham Lincoln a legend.  And it is what made thousands of people follow Martin Luther King Jr.  It is the will to win, and you can have it too.

The Will to Win

I have to admit, this is a hard topic to write about.  When I got the idea to write this article I thought it would be a nice little motivational post that would give some of you an inspirational boost.  But the more I dove into the topic the more I realized that having the will to win affects every single area of our lives!

In sports the will to win drives athletes to push themselves and their bodies to new levels.  In business it pushes individuals to commit to

Even in relationships we have the desire to win another person’s attention, love and affection.   The more I researched it the more I realized that not only do we all have the will to win, it is a huge driving force in all of us. 

But, the will to win is a hard thing to define.  There are several different ideas of what it actually means to have this desire.  It is a combination of mental strength, personal commitment, and willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed.

What Drives a Winner?

During my research I found many examples and stories of people who displayed an extraordinary will to win.  But there was almost no mention of why these people had the will to win.  So I decided to review those stories to see if I could find out what drives certain people.  I researched the stories of a few athletes, entrepreneurs, U.S. Navy Seals and musicians.  Then I took a look at my own life to see if I could find what drives me.  

Upbringing has a lot to do with a person’s desire to win.  Many of the people that I researched grew up in an environment that challenged them.  Along the way, there was usually a person-parent, teacher, mentor- that inspired and encouraged the person to do more than they thought they could do.

Having something to prove is also another motivating factor for the winner.  This was especially true for the athletes and soldiers that I reviewed.  They seemed to feel as though they needed to prove something to themselves; to see what they were really made of.  Winning wasn’t really about beating someone else; it was about mustering the strength, courage, and untapped fire in the belly that creates excitement.

The entrepreneurs and artists I looked at seemed to be fueled by the sense of accomplishment that comes for creating something out of nothing and solving problems.  The sense of creating is an important part of being a musician or artist.  In business, many entrepreneurs create businesses that provide solutions to better mankind.

After reviewing the stories, I looked at myself during the times in my life when I was determined to succeed.  I found in myself similar experiences.  As a child, I was challenged to do my best in whatever I was doing.  My family and a few teachers encouraged me to apply my skills and talents in order to succeed.  I also sometimes felt as though I had something to prove; to myself and others.

 The people who displayed the will to win usually possessed certain characteristics.  Here are the more common ones that I found:

Commitment-Having the dedication to complete what they’ve started and to come out on top.  Commitment means making the decision that-no matter what happens-you will follow through and accomplish what you’ve set out to do.

Purpose-Having a strong sense of purpose is believing that there is a greater reason for doing something that cannot be seen on the surface.

Desire –Wanting it bad enough.  Just wanting something more than someone else can motivate you to do a little more in order to win.  It is hard to pinpoint where desire originates.  I’m not sure why some people have it and others don’t but having it makes a huge difference.  

Fear-To my surprise, I found that fear has a lot to do with the will to win.  Having a fear of failure may actually motivate you to do more than you would if you didn’t care if you won or lost.  Some people also fear being seen as a loser so that motivates them to strive towards victory.

The list goes on.  The fear of disappointing your friends and family may make you work harder to make them proud.  Letting fear motivate you instead of inhibiting you can push you to excel.

But what if you were not challenged when you were younger?  Is it still possible to develop the will to win?  Absolutely, and here’s how.

Harnessing the Will to Win

Find a Bigger Purpose

One way to harness the will to win is to define a bigger purpose.  Pursing a more important reason for doing what you are doing will spark an unexplainable flame inside of you.  Your purpose will make getting out of bed every morning easier and more exciting.

 A person with a purpose can start a movement.  Every leader that has done great things has been able to do so because of the pursuit of a greater purpose.  Having a bigger, better, goal to go after inspires others to follow and to be a part of that goal.

Going after smaller goals is easy and unexciting.  When we aim low there is no real motivation to accomplish that goal.  Most of the time we lose interest before we even get a chance to finish what we started.  But when you have a greater purpose, you will have a wealth of motivation that is led by your desire to produce life changing results.

Do More Than You Have To

The person who does what other people are not willing to do will get what other people will not get.  Effort makes the difference!  Just doing a little more than another person can be the advantage you need to be victorious.  There is an air of confidence that comes from knowing that you have worked a little harder than most people.

Doing more than you have to also prepares you for anything.  Whenever I give a presentation where there will Q & A session, I make sure that I know my subject from top to bottom.  That way I am prepared for any and all questions that may be asked.

Mental Preparation

Engaging in mental exercises can give a person the edge they need.  Mental preparation means that you are preparing your mind for victory.  Visualizing success can make it easier for you to battle past obstacles and bounce back after defeat.

Having a clear vision of what you want and the direction you want to go in is also a part of mental preparation.  Many studies with athletes are showing that sports is just as much a mental games as it is a physical; if not more so. 

Prepare your mind for victory.  Focus on your goal until it is crystal clear in your mind and you understand exactly what you have to do to get there.  Many people who do not have the will to win have not taken the time to prepare their minds for what may come their way.  They have not developed their mental strength and that lack of preparation makes their will vulnerable to discouragement.

Silencing the Voice of Doubt

There is an enemy that is lives in our minds.  The little voice that tells you that you are not good enough and that what you are trying to do is too hard. It tells you that there are other people that are better than you.  It tells you that quitting is the best option.

The voice of doubt can be tiny but it has a powerful influence in what we do.   Every time you listen to that voice and do what it wants you to do, you are forfeiting your chance at victory.  The people who possess the will to win have learned how to silence this intruding voice.

You must battle with the voice and silence its influence on what you do.  Whenever the voice begins to speak, challenge it and reinforce your belief in yourself and ability.  Let your desire to win override the temptation to quit.  Focus on victory, purpose, and finishing what you started.  Eventually, the sound of that voice will get lower until it is silenced.

On the Potential 2 Success fanpage I recently posted a video of the training that soldiers have to go through in order to become Navy Seals.  The conditions include being immersed in 58 degree water for long periods of time and being allowed only 3 or 4 hours of sleep during the whole week.

The majority of the soldiers that go through the training will quit midway through the program.  The drill instructors agree that it is not the soldiers bodies that quit on them, it is their minds.  They decide that they are too cold, tired, wet, hungry, etc to continue. 

There is a difference between wanting to quit and actually quitting.  We all have times when we want to give up and quit.  During those times you must believe that quitting is taking a step back.  Do not the voice of doubt win.

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