Ask yourself this to WIN!

The concept of "WIN," is not a verb, it stands for "What's Important Now".

A crucial framework for individuals and teams operating in high-pressure situations. In fast-paced and often chaotic environments - whether in sports, business, or critical decision-making - it's essential to focus on immediate priorities. By zeroing in on what matters most at any given moment, you can direct vital energy and focus towards the actions that have the most significant impact for a given outcome.

Back in 2018, I am in a situation where asking the question

'What's Important Now' was essential...

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I am sitting in a small plane, ready to make a skydive with my team HayaBusa from Belgium. We are sharing the plane with the national team from France, and Airspeed; the team from USA. Flying 10500ft above the stunning region of Goldcoast - Australia, the views are simply breathtaking, however, the beautiful views don't come in. It's as if they are not registered by me, because I'm stressed for the jump that's to come. The jump; round 6, of the world championships formation skydiving we are currently in, has a tricky exit formation. That tricky first formation is followed by a fast, no... very fast combination. A potentially 'world record' breaking combination, that could decide the outcome of this whole world meet right there and then.

High-pressure scenarios like this can induce stress and uncertainty. This can cloud judgment and lead to mistakes. The WIN principle acts as my guiding force, helping me to concentrate on the pressing fast skydive rather than getting lost in a flurry of potential outcomes or past failures. The clear focus I need, on this present moment, will enable me to make thoughtful decisions, enhance my performance and be ready to execute that eminent skydive under pressure.

Q - M - F - C - N ... Q - M - F - C - N is playing on loop, inside my head. That is the combination of formations that the teams need to repeat as many times as possible, during the first 35 seconds of free fall. As the French are opening the door and getting ready to jump, the combination keeps playing in my head, Q - M - F - C - N, Q - M - ...

'What if I miss the count and fail the exit?'

This thought is not helping me, and thus has to go for: 'right foot on the edge of the door, body hanging low and facing the propellor'.

'What if the pilot drops us above the ocean, with sharks present in those waters'

Nothing I can do about that, Dave my teammate will spot for us. I let the pilot and him do their work, I have trust in them and do my part.

'What if you "brainlock" and forget a formation? How will you tell your grandchildren this story later of how you messed up, and lost a world championship?'

Ridiculous thought, not helping, I make it go away by visualizing myself in free fall, executing flawlessly Q - M - F - C - N.

Meanwhile Airspeed is in the door, as they leave the plane a gust of wind enters, and a big gasp leaves Dave's mouth. 'Did you see that?' he asks me. I make a waving gesture to dismiss his question and continue my focus. What's important now is not the jump from Airpeed, it's our Q exit formation, a good execution, followed by a fast pace. We need to set it up, very precise in the door, ready to go all out in these demanding circumstances. As we are climbing out I shift my weight so I'm balanced, hang low and face the wind. Full focus on Dave, he is giving the count, my timing needs to be spot on. We are about to make a life altering jump...

Succes or failure will follow next. What's important now? Timing and presentation!

As we jump from the plane, it feels like a jolt of energy is being released in the team. We are hardly out of the door and going to our 2nd point, into the 3rd and 4th. I don't think, just do. Time seems to be slowing down but we feel fast and strong. The jump seems to be going on for a long time, and we keep on repeating those 5 formations. When our altimeters eventually give us the signal to break off, we briefly celebrate before deploying our parachutes. The jump went exceptionally well, nothing more we can do now but to wait, for the judging, for the scores.

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The gasp Dave released on jump run, when looking at Airspeed's exit, was because someone almost flipped on his back. A far from ideal way to start a potentially record breaking skydive. The French had a similar issue, right after the launch, the Q formation sort of collapsed and left one team member out on his own. France scores 52 for their jump, but Airspeed from the USA, would break the world record for most formations build on a single competition jump. After the missed exit they quickly picked up speed, eventually scoring 60 points.

Their record would be short lived however, minutes later the judging of our jump would begin. Team HayaBusa from Belgium: score 62!

That high score has since never been matched in a international competition.

It still stands today as a world record. All this in great part thanks to a simple question: 'What's Important Now?'.

The WIN concept encourages a proactive rather than reactive mindset, empowering you to take charge of the situations. By regularly assessing 'what is important now', you can anticipate challenges and prepare strategically, rather than merely reacting to events as they unfold. This proactive attitude not only reduces anxiety but also fosters a greater sense of control and confidence, enabling you to thrive in high-stakes environments.

Embracing the WIN mindset is, therefore, an invaluable tool for achieving success and navigating the complexities of life’s pressures.