Do you want to beat any opponent you meet in your path? Do you always want to win? Do you want to be a real winner, succeeding in the most important goals of life? Remember that being a winner is a mentality and a lifestyle; even if you don't win every single challenge, only those who don't stop working hard and fighting achieve victory in the long run.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Winning in the Games
Step 1. Play with method and strategy, staying relaxed even in stressful conditions
While the game requires a certain amount of speed, such as speed chess or sports, the player who keeps his cool is usually the one who eventually retires in triumph. Get into the habit of breathing regularly as you play, taking time to make the best possible choice when it's your turn. If you are relaxed and calm it will be much easier for you to evaluate the various options and choose the best one.
Step 2. Analyze your opponent's needs and weaknesses
Instead of trying to figure out what your opponent is thinking, ask simpler and more effective questions. First ask yourself: "What does my opponent want to win?". So: "If I were him, what would worry me most? What is his weakness?". The answers to these two questions almost always indicate a valid strategy to follow.
- Imagine playing tennis against a player who has a great serve but is weaker at the net. This player will tend to hit the ball hard, causing you to play at the back line to avoid the area under the net; you should instead reverse the trend by forcing him to approach with short, cropped bangs.
- In board, card or strategy games, ask yourself what your opponent needs to achieve victory. How can you stop him from getting what he needs?
Step 3. Study the best strategies for the game you play
If you are a chess player there are hundreds of books that detail moves, methods of playing the opponent and long-term strategies. If, on the other hand, you play cards, mathematicians and game theorists have tested solutions to win almost every game, and these are often found for free on the internet. Don't try to learn everything through experience - study other players' achievements and use them to your advantage.
- In addition to providing you with strategies, reading news and tips on a given game will help you recognize when your opponent applies one of these strategies, so that you can quickly counter it.
- Athletes also regularly study the latest advances in their discipline. For example, let's think of the American triple jump champion Christian Taylor: after having documented himself with research and scientific studies, he overturned the common belief by performing short and fast jumps instead of long and slow, thus winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics.
Step 4. Identify repeating patterns
They can be patterns of play or in the way of acting of the opponent. Anyone who tries to behave randomly, but will repeat the same methods over and over again, especially if they believe they work. Paying attention to general trends and patterns in the game can help you manage opponents and achieve victory.
- For example, if the enemy team is scoring by attacking on the left side, don't just keep playing. Find a way to solve the problem on the left of your team.
- At "Paper, Scissors, and Stone" most men play stone first, while women play card. This means that you will always have to start with paper: so it is more likely that you will win or draw. If you pay attention to similar sequences when playing, understanding your opponent's game will be like reading an open book.
Step 5. Use the case to your advantage
Just as you analyze your opponent's behavior patterns, you can assume that he too does the same. Whenever you add random elements, or just reverse your patterns, you might catch him off guard and gain an advantage. Not all games allow for elements of randomness, but changing tactics to confuse your opponent will usually help you take the lead.
- In sports, for example in football, you can shoot from all around the penalty area, not just when you are close to the goal. Force your opponents to move to defend both outside and inside the area.
- Follow nature to reproduce randomness. For example, if you are serving in tennis, instead of always shooting on the same side or alternating, look at the clock: if the minute hand is between 0 and 30 servings on the right, if it is between 31 and 60 servings on the left.
Step 6. You need to know the rules of the game perfectly
You cannot win if you commit fouls or break the rules. What's more, knowing the rules well is the best way to spot any cheating and know exactly what tools and strategies you have at your disposal. If you are playing a game or participating in a race, knowing the rules perfectly already gives you an immediate advantage.
Step 7. Practice every single skill to improve your game overall
Take poker, for example: even though you can train just by doing a lot of practice, good players know that to win they have to focus on every part of the game. So one day they study which hands to play or not to play, another day when to bluff and another day how to calculate on the fly the odds of hitting cards. If you excel at individual skills, you radically improve your overall game.
- For many games, such as chess, there are online exercises, i.e. specific game scenarios to be solved in a short time.
- For this reason, workouts are indispensable in sports. Don't just think about repeating the same movement over and over - think about how you will use a specific skill to achieve victory.
- More complex challenges, such as playing video games against the computer or even against yourself, are great ways to develop your skills in your spare time.
Step 8. Communicate effectively and consistently with any teammates
The teams that are talked about the most are also the ones that perform best. You should maintain continuous communication regarding your opponents' moves, where you are, if you need help or support, or any changes in strategy. Don't think it's better to go it alone or keep quiet to keep it secret. The best teams are in constant communication with each other.
- If you understand or find something useful for your teammates, let them know.
- Provide constant updates on your game, such as: "I'll take this", "I need help", "Watch your back" etc.
Step 9. Practice psychological tricks
There is a famous Tour de France episode where Lance Armstrong, in the lead after climbing a very steep mountain, sees a competitor gain ground. Though exhausted, Armstrong changes his expression into a cheerful and relaxed smile and looks back at the opponent, who instead looks very tired. The latter, fearing that Lance is not tired at all, is demoralized, allowing Armstrong to win easily. You can adopt the same kind of tricks in any game to gain a psychological advantage. Staying calm and composed will make your opponents crumble.
- Regardless of the type of game, keep an impassive expression. The only emotions to show are the ones you want your enemy to see.
- If for some reason you bluff the game, don't reveal it to your opponent even if the bluff hits. For the same reason, in card games you never show your hand, unless you are forced to do so. This way you won't know when you bluff or not.
Method 2 of 2: Winning in Life
Step 1. Define what it means to you to win in life
What do you think is a successful life? How do you see yourself in 3-4 years, what are you doing? If these questions are difficult for you, make some simpler ones to get you started: Do you live in the city or in the countryside? Do you want to work from home or do you want to save the world by doing charity? Maybe you just want to have time to practice your passions freely. Whatever your answer, the winners are those who identify their goal, so they can plan how to achieve it.
Important goals aren't always easy to achieve. Don't let the difficulty or long duration of a business discourage you from pursuing it
Step 2. Do the preparatory work necessary to achieve the result
Winners know that success requires commitment before the event or challenge itself. Preparation prevents the risk of poor results, so sit calmly and sketch out the following questions and their answers:
- "What could most likely go wrong?"
- "How can I prevent problems or inconveniences?"
- "What tools or materials do I need to achieve the result?"
- "What actions can I take now to ensure success in the future?"
Step 3. Never stop learning, especially in the area that interests you
Winners don't "know everything". In reality it is the opposite, because they are aware that knowledge is power and that there is always something to learn. Read magazines in your sector, develop a new skill, go to conferences and seminars of your interest. While you need to focus on your area of expertise, know that inspiration can come from any source. An open mind will take you far, no matter what you do.
- Be like a sponge, absorbing as much information as you can whenever you get the chance.
- The more you test yourself, the more you learn. Following the more difficult or long road usually pays off by acquiring more experience and know-how. You will gain much more solid knowledge if you work on something every single day, developing motivation and building mental pathways that will make you more efficient and successful in the future.
Step 4. Commit to your goals every single day instead of intensive sessions
There is a big difference between studying a little each day and trying to accumulate information the night before the exam. While both strategies may be enough to pass the test, what you learn with a single concentrated effort is quickly forgotten. You will gain much more solid knowledge if you work on something every single day, developing your motivation and building mental pathways that will make you more efficient and successful in the future.
That said, don't blame yourself if you miss a day, it's not the end of the world. The general sense is to regularly and systematically dedicate yourself to your goals. All you need to do is catch up the next day
Step 5. Stop and analyze your goals, making adjustments when needed, regularly
Winners don't just take a path and follow it blindly; they constantly stock up on their surroundings and are willing to tackle if a better option or idea comes up. Even though each case is different, a productive analysis is easy to perform - take 5-10 minutes to calm down, then ask yourself the following questions:
- "What problems arise at this moment?"
- "How effective was the last solution I adopted?"
- "What has changed since the last time I made plans?"
- "What is the best result I can aspire to right now?"
Step 6. Study the habits of the best in your field
For example, if you want to excel in the finance industry, you should closely follow Warren Buffett, Elon Musk and the other giants of the business world. If you want to become a musician, study how your models practiced and improved, if you want to reproduce their behaviors. Instead of imitating the winners in their public performances, try to practice the exercises that led them to success.
- Many hours of practice are undoubtedly a common feature of all winners. From the Beatles playing night shows in Germany to Bill Gates locked in a room with the first computers, the best have invested thousands of hours of work before succeeding in their goals.
- A good workout tests you and is heavy. It is well known that Lance Armstrong took his bicycle with him to the Alps during the winter to prepare to climb the same mountains in the Tour de France in the summer.
Step 7. See failures as challenges, not obstacles
The winners do not see defeats as the end of the path, but as a necessary obstacle to overcome. There is not a single successful person who has not had to overcome a failure, because the road to greatness is full of challenges. If you view setbacks as tests done on purpose to make you better and stronger, you will be well on your way to success in whatever you do.
Challenges force you to learn and adapt on the fly. An open and flexible mindset will help you manage any difficulties you encounter
Step 8. Set your priorities intelligently
We all know someone who, for example, has a beautiful novel in mind but doesn't find the time to write it. The problem with this person is not not finding the time, but not creating it. No one can make a plan but yourself, so get used to setting your priorities so that you are 100% sure you will make them happen. If you don't dedicate time to your priorities, no one else will do it for you.
- Set aside some time each day to focus on your goals and projects. Once you take this time to work on your priorities it's much easier to turn it into a habit.
- Being a winner also requires sacrifices. Prioritizing so that you engage in your passions can mean that you will spend less time and attention on other activities.
Step 9. Develop a winning mindset
You have to be psychologically and mentally prepared to win, so be positive and believe in yourself. Already thinking you can win you will be ahead of where others will ever go. Conversely, if you are convinced that you are failing or have no hope, you will actually lose the motivation to win.
Remind yourself not only that you will win, but that you deserve to win. The thirst for victory and hope will motivate you even if the situation gets tough
Advice
- Believe in yourself - this is the most important part of winning.
- Be sporty when you lose.
- Believe in yourself even when no one believes you can do it. It is amazing how much you can achieve in life by just having faith in yourself.
- Play your best: if you do, you will always win.
- Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you admit that you were wrong, you give yourself a chance to change.
- Learn to accept constructive criticism and learn from your mistakes. If you happen to run into an idiot, continue on your way and do not let yourself be influenced. But if you seem to run into idiots all the time, maybe the problem is you.
- When you play your best and work harder than ever, you never really lose. You will still be a winner.
Warnings
- Never cheat, even if you don't get caught. Winning by cheating is not winning.
- Don't have compassion on your opponent.
