Picture this: You’re playing the game of your life—locked in, confident, flowing with purpose. Statisticians are tracking every detail, the scoreboard lights are blazing on the jumbotron, and the box score is glowing. Final seconds tick down. Three… two… one. Buzzer.

You look up—and your team lost.

A gut punch. And for many, that’s all too familiar.

But that moment holds a powerful truth: the outcome of the game is more than just your effort. You can give everything, play your best, and still lose. You can also play terribly and still walk away with a win.

In team sports like basketball, there are nine other athletes on the court, three referees, emotional coaches, unpredictable fans—and all of them play a part in the final result. In individual sports, it’s no different. There’s always someone else on the track, on the course, or across the net. Someone with their own training, pressure, game plan, and hunger. You are not the only factor.

And that’s the cornerstone of mental performance training: the outcome is one of the smallest things we can control. That’s why I don’t obsess over it. I focus on what you can control: your preparation, your mindset, your process.

There’s a quote that floats around locker rooms and weight rooms: “Rise to the expectation.” Sounds great—until you realize it’s false.

We don’t rise to the expectation. We fall to the level of our preparation.

You can’t just expect to win. You train for it. You can’t just visualize the finish line—you build the engine that gets you there.

This mindset isn’t just in self-help books. It’s biblical. It’s gritty. It’s truth. From David Goggins to 1 Corinthians 9:25, the message is clear: Champions aren’t made in the outcome. They’re made in the unseen hours.

As a former rugby player and D1 rugby coach, I’ve seen this mindset lived out at the highest level—especially by teams like the New Zealand All Blacks. They don’t just train physically—they train mentally. One of their core principles is the Red Head vs. Blue Head model: a system that teaches players to recognize when they’re slipping out of focus and how to anchor themselves back into the moment. Even on the biggest stage, they don’t chase results—they train for presence, pressure, and precision.

So when you compete, remember:

-Avoid obsessing over the scoreboard.
-Put the majority of your energy into your habits, your routine, your process.
-Learn to love the work, not just the win.
-And take everything one day at a time.


The goal isn’t perfection. It’s preparation. The victory isn’t promised—but your growth is. Focus on what you can control. Let go of the rest.

Because in the end, it’s not about the outcome. It’s about what you’re becoming.