Winning Wednesday
Winning Wednesday? What does it mean to win?
Winning
If you have ever been involved in politics or campaigns or even vote, you might experience the barrage of calls, texts and emails that candidates and political parties send night and day. They all want to win. I wonder what it would mean for them to win. Some of them have ideas and policy that are as scary as anything I could imagine in my worst nightmares.
The ideas presented can sound so good, but upon closer examination, would reduce freedom and usher in the means for mass social control, extermination, or anarchy. Critical thinking is so important and it is difficult to think deeply in our busy world. Especially, if we are consuming news on the fly. Social media and the relatively modern method of sound bites are very bad for thinking. One thought must lead to the next, not switch gears, as in the way so much of what we see and hear does.
Political candidates are not the only ones using sound bites and propaganda-like communication. Many businesses do the same. Some of the largest and most powerful businesses use psychology and research to manipulate and control our behavior on a massive scale. They know what will make us buy. They use our patterns and interactions on and off-line to track us and intercept us and get our attention. Their win is making money.
What’s a Win?
That all depends on many factors. For me, today, a win was that I cleaned my bathroom. I mean really cleaned it. To be clear, I wipe the mirror, clean the sink, and brush the toilet daily. Today, I emptied the closet and the draws and really cleaned out all the stuff no one uses. I replaced shelf liners and wiped down the walls. Then, I washed the floors by hand, up close. It took a long time. I pressed in and ignored the nagging pain and kept going until it was finished.
I know a lot of people with chronic illness and a terrific win for some is just getting out of the house, visiting a friend. It’s hard to visit when you’re in pain or wiped out from getting ready. As I write this, I have a friend who has suffered for many years and a really big win for her is getting to church. It could be standing in the kitchen long enough to make a good meal.
If you have ever suffered trauma. A big win could be going out to eat or shopping. It may be that you keep a journal for 30 consecutive days or hold a job for a year. It could be getting through a therapy session with some practical grounding techniques or a small change in perspective that you take with you through the week.
Athletes win by setting goals. Even leisure athletes like ballroom dancers or golfers set goals. They want to learn a certain technique or showcase a choreographed routine. Martial artists advance in their levels of proficiency. Business people make payroll, hire new people, grow the company according to goals. Politicians and patriots win elections or pass legislation for a win.
The Way to Win
That depends. The way to win differs from one person to another. Seriously though, the way not to win is not to try anything. As in the sections above, wins can vary widely form one person to the next. So many factors play into a what winning is for each person. There are a few keys to winning. You may know some that work for you too. Keeping the win in mind is probably the most important part of winning.
One person trains for marathon. They run, they rest, they eat well. All the while, they have the marathon in mind. Their actions line up with their thoughts. If the simply thought about running a marathon, but sat on the couch scrolling online, eating junk and staying out late partying, they wouldn’t run a marathon. Running 26.5 miles is a very big goal. It takes alignment to win.
Even if we set a goal and we don’t fully accomplish it, we can still decide to call it a win. Obviously, I’m reframing. Sometimes, we should reframe or realign the goal. Things come up, expectations aren’t always met, and forces beyond our control can thwart the best laid plans. Our mindset is important. If we set too many lofty goals and don’t meet them, we can fall into depression. If we set many lofty goals and keep our perspective positive, we can find the wins. They will be there.
A business owner might set goals for the launch of a new product. They may have strategies and marketing and everything working together like a well oiled machine. But if some major catastrophe wipes out the factory, the launch won’t go well. They can still find the wins. I think it was John Maxwell who wrote, “You either win or you learn.” Still winning.
Winning Wednesday
I was away for six months. Three of which I spent 12-15 hour per day in a hospital in California with my daughter who had been run over by an 11,000 pound RV. She’s home now, still under the care of physicians. I didn’t write at all while there. So, for me, to publish today is a win. I joined a kind of coaching program to get back to speaking and producing teaching materials. Winning requires practice and effort, not just setting goals. They like to ask for people to share what their “win” is weekly on Wednesdays. That got me thinking.
I want to win every single day. I’d like to see you win every day too.
One day last week, I felt like a loser. Looking around my house, I literally heard my mind tell me that I was such a loser. In my absence, a lot of planned household maintenance hadn’t been done. The day before, I went to assess our rental unit. The resident in the apartment didn’t pay the full amount, left bags of trash and cigarette buts at the entry and the heat was up to 74* with a window open. I pay the heat. It’s been a terrible experience. It was a very hard drive up there and back and I was coming down with a cold. I spent a few hours miserable.
When I talked about it, I noticed that there were some things I could do. Since my energy level is kind of low, I have to be careful not to over extend and crash. So, when I’m setting goals and making plans to win, I really have to think through lots of probable and possible scenarios. Some people can get into analysis paralysis. I have at times too. So, be careful of that.
Thanksgiving
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. Although, I might complain occasionally, I try to remember to be grateful. “To complain is to remain.” and “Your attitude creates your altitude.” are two quotes that I used to tell my children as the grew up. I don’t know where I heard them exactly, but they are important reminders.
No matter how much pain and suffering we endure, we can find things to be grateful for. When my daughter was in the hospital, I saw how important thanksgiving really is. She was writhing in agony, but she always thanked the staff, everyone. From the housekeeping to physicians, every nurse and even dietary, though she didn’t eat for almost her entire stay. Being thankful created an atmosphere of cooperation.
For some of us, Thanksgiving and the holiday season is awful. I hope and pray for a win every day for you. Maybe write out what you want life to be. What would be your goal(s) for the perfect Thanksgiving Day or any day? What does the perfect day look like to you?
I’m working on it too. Then, I’ll align my actions with the goals. Whether or not it’s perfect, I’ll win. I hope you will too.