Arnold Palmer, the legendary golfer, is author of some of my favorite quotes, and one of my favorites among them is that, “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting it is”.
While the quote was designed to apply specifically to golf, and it can easily be generalized to all other sports, the concept is really meaningful in addressing many of the challenges that we all face over time. It is as meaningful in pursuing careers, relationships, academic skills and hobbies as it is on the golf course. It is a concept that makes as much sense as we try to build a strong family or a retirement portfolio as it does on the baseball or football field. When we step outside of a sports venue, the term, “Success” can be equated with the term “Winning”.
Nobody wins at everything, so we have to be prepared for some non-successes. If we recognize that wanting to win is the critical attitude, we can channel our efforts into making the best decisions and efforts that we can make in pursuit of our goals.
In sports, you don’t win by quitting, and you don’t do the proper self-examination to do better the next time if you are a sore loser. The same principles apply off the golf course or the ball field. If you want to be successful, you pursue your goals with effort and purpose. And if you fall short, you can readjust your goals or your strategies to achieve them. And you can meet the next challenge with the attitude of a winner – as long as you want to win.