I was playing a shooter game, something like Counter-Strike, where the goal is simple—kill as many players from the opposing team as possible on each map.

Problem: I sucked. Badly.

My kill-to-death ratio?

A miserable 1:10. I was getting wrecked every single time, losing more often than winning, but I kept at it.

After a few days, I improved, and my ratio started creeping up. Nothing special, but progress is progress.

Then, once I hit skill level 15, the game decided to throw me into the deep end—players at level 60 and beyond. It was brutal.

Suddenly, it felt like I didn’t even know how to play. Loss after loss after loss. It was worse than when I started.

My frustration hit a boiling point, but I wasn’t about to quit. I thought, “Okay, time for a new tactic.” So, I started playing cautiously. Hiding. Focusing on minimize deaths instead of maximizing kills.

The whole game became about survival, not thriving. I wasn’t playing to win anymore—I was playing not to lose.

And, surprise, surprise… I lost even more.

My “let’s not die” strategy was sinking me faster than my original approach.

Finally, I had enough. I said, “Screw it.” I stopped caring about my stats. Stopped obsessing over winning or losing.

Yeah, I still wanted to win, but it didn’t consume me anymore. I played just for the sake of playing. To have fun.

Almost instantly, things shifted. My skills improved. Fast forward two months, and I was the MVP in almost every session.

This reminds me of a buddy of mine. A while back, he told me about his dream of starting a business. Great idea, loads of potential.

But he never pulled the trigger.

Why?

Because he was obsessed with one thing—avoiding failure. He had this whole plan built around playing it safe.

He saved money, researched, trying to find the perfect, zero-risk option.

He was focused mostly how not to lose money. All the ways he could fail, so he can avoid it.

You can guess what happened next: nothing. He never started.

He was too afraid, not just of failure, but of parting with the money he had worked so hard to save.

But here’s the thing—life doesn’t work like that, and business sure as hell doesn’t.

The hard truth? If you’re focused on not losing, you’ve already lost.

Nobody likes failure, but if all you think about is how to avoid it, failure is exactly what you’ll get.

The real game is about finding ways to win.

Forget playing it safe. Forget trying “not to lose.”

You’ve got to take your shot if you want to get anywhere.

Playing to win doesn’t mean you ignore precautions or take reckless risks.

Of course, you’ll still plan, assess the risks, and explore options to avoid losing.

But here’s the catch—avoiding loss shouldn’t be your main focus.

Instead of constantly worrying about what could go wrong, shift your energy into crafting a winning strategy. About what could go right.

Minimize risks, but don’t let the fear of failure be the driving force behind your decisions.

Focus on building a plan that sets you up for success, and suddenly, you’re playing to win.

And when you take the plunge, even if things don’t go exactly as planned, you gain valuable experience.

Embrace uncertainty.

Remember, there’s no such thing as failure—only learning.

Even if you stumble, it’s not a loss; it’s an opportunity to learn what doesn’t work. Take those lessons, adjust, and keep moving forward.

How To Lose Every Time and Still Win Big.
What I learned Form Earning And Loosing 500,000$ in Bad Business Investments
How To Shift Your Mindset To Never Lose.