Want To Win? Ask Yourself 3 Questions

Inside the Mind of a Winner: Inspired by Bill Beswick

The feeling after you win, whether that be in life or a race, is a feeling that everyone chases. To win is to succeed, and everyone wants to succeed. 

Bill Beswick is a sports psychologist from the UK. He was the coach of the gold medal-winning basketball team in the 1992 Commonwealth Championship. 

Recently, I stumbled across a video in which he was featured, which allowed me to understand that his mindset and philosophy are beneficial for anyone searching for what it takes to win.

In the video, Beswick covers three important questions. If you want to win at anything in life, I recommend reading this article, taking 5 minutes to answer each question thoroughly, and allowing your thoughts to go where they need to go while focusing on the question at hand.

1. What do you want?

What does your heart deeply desire? According to your own individual desires without external influence, what would make you fulfilled? 

When I was first confronted with this question, I paused the video and reflected on what I wanted. It was hard at first, like finding a needle in a hay. I had to rid all the external and internal factors that influenced what I truly want. 

After a while, I realized my vision of myself was rooted much deeper in what I want out of life, in what I feel is my potential, and in my life experiences and competitive nature. That should be the same for you. It shouldn’t be what others want out of you or expect you to do. It should be something you deeply desire. 

Ultimately, my goal was specific: To create a website for those in the hybrid training community and make a name for myself through this process. I chose this because it’s radical and I believe in myself. It’s something that I know I am passionate about. 

Beswick touches on the importance of being radical with our goals: “We are writing our own life story every day.”

2. How badly do you want it?

Not everyone wants things to the same degree. Some want it more, and some want it less. That’s the truth. And not confronting that truth in yourself is rejecting a core requirement for success.

You need to commit to it every day. Push yourself. Think about it in an obsessive way. Think about what you need to do, and do it.

The real question is: Do you believe you want it badly enough to beat everyone else at it?

Because many other people want to win at whatever you’re doing, and if you don’t want it more than they do, there will always be factors that separate you from the person who does.

As Beswick says, “There are a thousand excuses, but not a single reason not to achieve.” That’s the mindset a winner needs. Those who don’t want it bad enough create excuses and ultimately fall short or give up.

3. How much are you willing to suffer?

If you’re not willing to suffer for it, then you need to find something you are willing to suffer for.

As harsh as that sounds, it’s the truth.

Suffering is the separator. It’s what makes the gap between the good, the great, and the greatest of all time. As humans, we have an insane capacity to suffer. Very few people actually die from pushing themselves to their highest potential; our bodies have their limits, sure. But we bleed, cry, sweat, break, get sick, fall behind, and still survive. And the one who does this more prevails.

Those who don’t give up when life gets dark, those who keep moving, even when it hurts, those who try again and again, failure after failure, are the ones who become legends. They want it so badly that they’re willing to die to see it through. To give your life for something is to give your energy, time, breath, and existence to the pursuit of greatness.

Have you bled? Fallen? Have you been spat on, mocked, judged, or made fun of? Felt lost? Been sick? Intentionally pushed your limits to the point that it backfired on you. 

Have you done all this and still kept going?

You must have the confidence to say: “I will suffer for my goal. My suffering will continue, that’s a given, but I am willing to suffer harder. And to get to where I am on this hill, anyone else would have to suffer just as hard.”

You must refuse to be a victim.

I challenge you to ponder these three questions. Gauge where you’re at. Know that you can progress forward. Even if no one believes in you.

This is the mindset of a winner, not a loser. The most important medal in life is the one you give yourself. So next time you finish a workout or complete a task, ask yourself:

Did I give everything I had today?

If you did, congratulations, you now understand what it takes to win.