Nobody walks up to you and hands you a world title belt for nothing. Winning depends on a multitude of elements working together in order to get a desired result, kind of like a scientific formula or mathematical equation. If you have all the right ingredients and you mix them together in just the right way, winning is what you'll do best.

The Ten Ingredients:

1) Attitude - Think, act, talk, walk and believe you`re a winner
2) Desire - Know what you want and why you want it
3) Visualize - See yourself peforming perfectly and you will 
4) Details - Pay attention to the details foremost. Good is not good enough.
5) Focus - Focus and concentrate on the game not the scoreboard
6) Resources - Don`t be afraid to ask others for help especially if they`re willing to help you
7) Equipment - Check and double check to make sure you have everything you need  
8) Planning - Develop a strategy, create a plan, and be prepared to adapt when things go wrong
9) Patience - Get good before you get fast. This is the only way to perfect your skills.
10) Determination - Go after what you want at all costs, no matter what, and stay focused on why you want it.

The Six Step Formula:

Step 1 - The Mindset: The first thing that you have to understand about winning is that you must have the right mindset to put you on the right path. After all, wherever the mind goes the body follows. You truly have to believe that you can win, that you will win, and that you deserve to win. In other words...you have to picture yourself as a winner.

Step 2 - The Fear of Losing: You can't be afraid to lose. Fear of losing will make you hesitate when you should take action, doubt yourself when it's time to make a decision, and worst of all prevent you from winning every time. The truth is...losing is a part of winning. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to an athelete is to lose. That's what makes you go back to the drawing board to re-group, re-focus, and re-energize. With the right attitude a loss can act as a great motivator.

Step 3 - Winning is Fun: You need to let winning take care of itself. Once the preparation is done then its time to play. My old kickboxing coach, Guy Gagnon,  used to say to me 'smile you bad mother f....' well, you get the idea. He used to say that to me while he was beating on me during sparring sessions. That was his way of telling me to relax. Have fun. If you're not having fun...then you're not going to win!

Step 4 - 100% is Enough:  Many people will tell you that you have to give it 110-120-150%. Their intention is good but the concept is wrong. If you give any more than 100% than you`re trying to hard. You`ll start getting in your own way. When you`re working at your peak levels, performance is easy. It becomes just like you to perform under pressure and get the results you want and need each and every time.

Step 5 - Never Say Die: You can`t ever quit. Winners don`t know how to quit. A loser will see 1000 reasons why they can`t do something while a winner only needs to see 1 reason why they can. Just don`t ever stop!

Step 6 - Multiple Ways to Win: There are always more ways to win than one. Think about it and I'm sure you'll be able to come up with a few of your own. On my path to winning the world championships there were many rewards such as making new friends, travelling to different countries, owning and operating my own gym, and the list goes on and on. Feeling like a winner starts with learning to recognize the many rewards you receive from making your best effort. In other words...don't be afraid to patt yourself on the back when you do well!

Each and everyone of us is born with what it takes to win. You just have to decide you want to win and go after it like your life depends on it, and eventually, if you develop all the right ingredients and you follow all the right steps...winning will take care of itself.

Author: John McMahon - Head Instructor
Nomad Kickboxing & Boxing

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