Event date: 25/05/2023 Jim Lawless - Playing to Win or Playing Not to Lose? At our Entrepreneurs Dining Room Event on the 26th of April, we had the pleasure of hearing Jim Lawless discuss how we could accomplish anything that we put our mind to. Jim is the CEO of SYMMETRY and as well as Jim’s accolades in business, he has also made a name for himself as an international, best-selling author through his book ‘Taming Tigers’, a professional, televised jockey and finally he became the deepest free diver in British history within 8 months. All of these rapid adaptations were done to test and validate his approaches of being able to do anything that you put your mind to and were also done alongside his day job - just as all work transformations are. Jim refers to all of the voices in your head that tell you that you can’t do something as Tigers, and using his eight-rule framework, he talked us through taming these negative thoughts hence the title of his book ‘Taming Tigers’ Jim started off the night by proposing a thought-provoking question to us all… “Are you playing to win or playing not to lose?” By nature, we are wired to protect what we have rather than to instinctively step outside of our comfort zone and much like in business, this risk averse mindset limits us in unlocking our true potential. Even many hugely successful business leaders cannot wholeheartedly say “I have achieved everything I have ever put my mind to” so, if you really want to start playing to win, you have to see risks as opportunities. Below we have laid out Jim’s eight-rule framework as well as some of the learnings present in his talk with the hopes that you too can see how truly easy it is to achieve anything you apply yourself to, if you have the correct mindset. Rule 1: Pick up your pen… “How many opportunities have i backed away from because people like me aren’t meant to do things like this?” Too many people believe that your story is already written for you and the cards that you are delt in life are the ones that you are stuck with however, the first thing that you have to acknowledge to do truly great things, is that YOU have the power to write your own story. Rule 2: Challenge your algorithm… Algorithms are very simple. If you do this, then that will happen. Unfortunately, most of these algorithms that occur in our lives every day, have been set by social norms and as humans, we are inherently risk averse and see the worst out of most situations. Saying this, substantial growth mostly comes from scenarios that we have attributed high risk to and our inherently risk adverse nature often holds us back from disregarding the risk and chasing the growth anyway. This means that to grow and be successful, these algorithms that tell us, if we do this, then something bad will happen, need to be challenged so that we can look past the risk and stop just playing not to lose. Rule 3: Act BOLDLY… As suggested in rule two, if we continued to have the same mindset that we have been brought up to know, we would be constricted by the same fears that everyone else is faced with and just accepts. If we truly asked ourselves “what can’t I do?”, the answer will usually be nothing therefore, In order to break the mould and unlock our true potential, we need to act boldly and chase the things in life we want the most. Remember, these opportunities won’t just come and find you, you will have to act boldly and seek them out if you truly want them. Rule 4: Commit to consistency… Anyone can set a goal however without consistent action, it will never be fulfilled. Unless you are setting yourself very small and attainable goals, you will not have fulfilled them overnight, greatness takes time. Because of this, you will have to be committed to working tirelessly until you have succeeded. Consistency also develops positive habits, making those actions more automatic and effortless over time. Habits allow you to perform necessary tasks without relying solely on willpower, increasing your chances of long-term success in achieving your goals without a constant need for motivation because let’s be honest, some days it just isn’t there. Rule 5: Own your time… Time is the most valuable resource that we don’t have. I can guarantee that you do not have the time to juggle all of the usual stuff that is taking up your days as well as all of these extra things that will bring us closer to achieving our goals however this is when you need to ask yourself… “How much do I really want this?” If you want it that badly then you will make time and ensure that your actions are aligned with your aspirations and not focused on things that maybe aren’t as important in the big picture. Rule 6: Embrace your vulnerability… You will be venerable on your journey to greatness because you are taking risks that you have never taken before and with these risks, comes a lack of safety. Embracing vulnerability builds resilience and adaptability, which are essential for navigating the ups and downs of attaining your goals and finding out that you truly can do anything that you put your mind to. When you embrace vulnerability, you develop the ability to bounce back from failures, setbacks, or unforeseen circumstances. You learn to reframe challenges as learning opportunities and adjust your strategies as needed, ensuring that you stay resilient and flexible in the pursuit of your goals. Rule 7: Manage your mind… The voice in your head will often be your biggest naysayer as we are often our own harshest critics. So because our minds are filled with limiting beliefs and self-doubt that hinder our progress, Managing your mind can help you to identify and challenge those limiting beliefs, replacing them with empowering thoughts and beliefs that support your goals. By managing your mindset, you can cultivate a positive and growth-oriented mindset that helps you overcome obstacles and persevere in the face of challenges. Rule 8: Commit to the outcome… As soon as you lose sight of the end goal, you may start to slip. Committing to the outcome that you are after holds you accountable for your actions and results. It shifts the responsibility onto yourself to take the necessary steps and make the necessary choices to achieve your goal. When you commit to the outcome, you acknowledge that you have control over your actions and that you are responsible for the choices you make along the way. It can also help you gain clarity about what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it one step at a time. Now that you have the foundations to achieve anything that you set your mind to, you have to ask yourself, am i going to play to win or continue to play not to lose?