From time to time, life offers you the chance to get what you really, really want. It could be that dream job you have always wanted, a scholarship to a prestigious university, first place in a competition where you have worked your butt off, it may even be purchasing that limited edition, one-of-a-kind Mustang.
Problem is, someone else also wants what you want but only one can obtain it.
This reminds me a lot of what in sports is labeled as a 50/50 challenge. A 50/50 challenge occurs when two rivals physically dispute relentlessly over the possession of the ball. In american football this is called a fumble. There is a 50% percent chance you win the soccer ball, or get ahold of the basketball and there is a 50% percent that your ‘rival’, it could be in the form of a classmate, co-worker, even a stranger who is also wanting the same exact thing you are hunting for.
Sticking with the sports analogy, the bad news is when you lose possession of the ball or puck because your rival has the upper hand on the game but once you steal the ball back now it is you who has the advantage. In life, ‘having possession’ means being in charge, anticipating what may be a setback and making the necessary adjustments.
So, the question is: how can I fairly increase my chances when disputing these 50/50 challenges? I include the word fairly because bringing down your opponent through cheating is a type of tactic but a dishonest one.
Here are my three tips that will help you increase your possibilities of getting ahold of the ‘ball’ in life to get what you want:
1) Have a winning mentality. Face challenges and preparation with the mindset that you will obtain that sweet reward for which you have been training for.
2) Ask for help. Various times we blindly trust in what we already know about a certain subject and in doing so we close our minds. Be open to concepts that may not be familiar with you. Have the panning-for-gold approach which in this context basically means, you first question the new information placed in front of you but are always making the necessary adjustments to help you become a more complete athlete/competitor.
3) Losing is winning. You learn more about yourself through failures, defeats than when you have success. Maybe you did not accomplish the goals you had set for yourself but as long as you are alive, you can work on your body, your mind, each day to get better and better. Defeats may bring you down in the short them but if you make the correct modifications then wins will appear in long term periods.
Next time you find yourself in a 50/50 challenge in your life know that there are steps to have the upper hand and acquire those things you truly yearn for.
Nelson Guerra 
