Bhrett McCabe
Playing to Win vs. Playing to Not Lose
Let’s get one thing straight: playing not to lose is a slow-acting poison. It’s a defensive crouch disguised as strategy, a fear of making mistakes that guarantees you will never make anything great. It is the single most common barrier to elite performance. But in the rush to avoid this trap, many performers fall into the ditch on the other side of the road: the belief that playing to win means reckless, undisciplined aggression.
The Ego Trap: The Other Side of Fear
Mindless aggression isn't a strategy; it's a gamble. It’s the golfer who, after a bad drive, tries the flashy, one-in-a-million miracle shot instead of taking his medicine with a simple punch-out. That choice isn’t made to win; it’s made to satisfy pride. Fear wants to avoid looking bad. Ego wants to demand looking good. Both are emotional reactions that interfere with the judgment and discipline required for competing at the highest level.
What Playing to Win Actually Is
Playing to win isn’t about choosing between being scared and being reckless. It is the disciplined pursuit of opportunity. It is an offensive mindset, executed with cold, hard strategy. The best competitors have the patience to be conservative when the situation demands it, but possess the clarity and courage to attack when the opportunity presents itself. They aren’t driven by how they feel; they are driven by a calculated assessment of the facts.
The Framework for True Winning
Shifting from a "not lose" posture to a "win" mindset requires a deliberate plan. It will not happen by accident.
1. Separate the decision from the outcome. Playing not to lose is obsessing over the negative result. Ego obsesses over the positive one. Your job is to ignore both and focus only on the quality of your decision-making process. You can make a brilliant, calculated decision that doesn’t pan out. Don't let a bad outcome punish a good process.
2. Know your "go" signals. A winning mindset isn't randomly aggressive; it's strategically and deliberately so. Before you compete, you must define the specific conditions that give you a high-percentage advantage—the green lights that tell you when to strike. This lets strategy, not emotion, pull the trigger.
3. Aim for progress, not perfection. The goal of playing to win isn’t a highlight-reel victory on every play. It’s about relentlessly moving forward and accumulating small advantages until they become unstoppable. The goal isn’t to look spectacular; it’s to be relentlessly effective.
Playing to win means you’re not driven by emotion—you’re anchored in execution. You don’t chase perfection or play scared. You make the right call, over and over, no matter how it feels. That’s the difference at the highest level. The best don’t fear the scoreboard or need it for validation—they simply use it for feedback. Then they get back to work.