🔵 The Most Dangerous Moment

Winning feels amazing.

You've been working hard, pushing through resistance, and finally got the result you were after.

But here's something most people don't realize:

The most dangerous moment is right after a win.

There are a few patterns I see repeat after someone experiences a big win that can lead you to fall backward instead of allowing the win to propel you forward. I call them:

• Foot Off The Gas

• Doubling Down

• Boredom Backslide

Let's break down each of these and discuss how you can prevent these pitfalls on your next big win.

Foot Off The Gas

After a big win, there can be a tendency to take your foot off the gas. You tell yourself it's time to celebrate, and you've earned a break.

And you have.

Most people, especially those who identify as high-performers, don't give themselves enough space to celebrate victories.

But there is a difference between recovery and regression.

If you're not careful, a short pause becomes a slide. The habits and systems that created the win get discarded, leading you to start over from ground zero when you finally realize the party is over.

After a win, take some time to reflect on what got you there, and rather than dialing all the way back from 10 to 0, turn it down to 5 so that when you're ready to ramp things back up, the engine is still primed.

Doubling Down

If some people tend to have a major backslide after a win, others tend to do the opposite.

The win causes them to feel unstoppable and start to double down, this time with an overconfident ego.

Discipline fades, entitlement kicks in, and standards loosen.

The times when you feel like you can't lose are usually when you suffer your greatest defeats. The fact that you've been winning takes your focus away, causing you to forget what got you there in the first place.

The prescription here is the same.

Give yourself space to celebrate the win while reviewing the steps that led to the victory. Reinforce those habits, and when you're ready for the next round, you'll have momentum on your side.

Boredom Backslide

Climbing a mountain is an exhilarating experience, both literally and metaphorically.

When I work with founders who just completed a large exit, we typically agree to a "No major investments or new projects for at least 3 months" rule.

Why?

Because after the rush of achieving a win that has been a lifetime in the making, they are wired to get back out there and do it all over again.

If you've been to the top of the mountain, sea level can seem tedious. This boredom leads to careless decision-making that can often be devastating and even threaten to bring down everything they spent so long building.

The Right Way To Win

We all love to hear stories of those who built themselves up from nothing only to win big in the end.

Those stories make for good shows and movies, but in the real world, the right way to win is to keep stacking victories on top of each other rather than entering the vicious cycle of tearing yourself down each time you win, only to have to build yourself back up.

If winning feels good, holding on to the prize should feel even better.

So, next time you experience a win, how will you use it to take you to the next level rather than falling for these pitfalls?

Coach’s Corner

Professional athletes are a notoriously superstitious bunch.

As an Edmonton girl, I've been following along closely with the Oilers’ (that's hockey for those unfamiliar) run at the Stanley Cup.

After securing their ticket to the finals with a 6-3 victory, Oilers captain Conor McDavid did something that shocked everyone watching.

He skated up to the Clarence Campbell Bowl trophy (awarded to the winners of the NHL's Western Conference), picked it up, and, with a slight smirk on his face, posed for a photo with the league official presenting it to him.

Traditionally, the winning team for each conference refuses to touch their respective trophy. A symbolic gesture recognizing that there is a long way to go for their ultimate goal: winning the championship and hoisting the Stanley Cup.

In typical hockey player fashion, he downplayed it, saying:

"We didn't last year; give it a go this year."

(The Oilers reached the finals last year, only to lose in Game 7. They did not touch the trophy after winning their conference.)

It was deeper than that.

As the captain, I saw it as a statement to his team:

"This year, we make our own luck."

Whether they win or lose is yet to be seen, but I can't think of a better frame of mind to enter a major competition with than one that says our results will be shaped by our actions.

Click Here To Learn More About Adrienne’s Coaching

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