6 Ways to Win at Risk

What differentiates successful people is that, by playing the hand they were dealt well, they remake the odds in their favor. Their entrepreneurial spirit, positive attitude, and pure perseverance are their “aces in the hole.” 

If you think of life as a card game, we are all dealt a variety of hands. Sometimes the odds are against us, sometimes with us. When all is said and done though, the skill of playing—and the tenacity to stay in the game—determines success. Successful people who beat the odds opt to get into the game even if they have to learn the rules along the way or even write their own. They simply turn a deaf ear to naysayers and keep on playing. 

Regardless of the hand you have been dealt, the belief that you can beat the odds is essential in playing the game to win. Whether you face a corporate reorganization, dizzying levels of change in your markets, a forced layoff, or any other life-altering event, a first response may be a temptation to fold. But hold on. Check with the experts first. If you were to ask successful people how they defied the odds, their answers most likely will include the following:  

1. Play the hand you’ve been dealt the best you can—but get into the game. The first part of defying the odds is to accept the hand you’ve been dealt. Just accept it, acknowledge that you want to do the best you can with it, without looking to the past or blaming others. It is what it is, and start from there. Look forward not backward.

2. See yourself as a player. Know you have every right to be in the game, to win the game, and to enjoy the game. Just because the hand isn’t what you wanted, it’s the challenge that gives you the opportunity to rise to the occasion and sharpen your abilities and wits.

3. Play the game with the belief you can win, and will learn valuable lessons along the way. It is a game of wits. So keep a positive attitude so you can defy those odds. It’s done all of the time. You may as well join the ranks of people who overcome the odds. Pay attention to all you’re learning and overcoming along the way. It shows your strength and you’ll be more understanding of others later in your life who find themselves in similar situations.

4. Play the game your way. Pay attention to the rules of the game, then improvise them. Look at the situation, and then turn it upside down. Yes, think of it the opposite way. For instance, instead of focusing on the thought that you hate your job, look at the aspects of it that—given the opportunity to do the job any way you wanted—what would you like about it. What would you suggest get changed to make it more enjoyable? Finding a solution that works for you just might be the solution that works for all.

5. Refuse to believe the odds. Nothing is impossible. Who set the odds for you anyway? Why do you need to believe them? Set your sights above where they are now and set incremental goals, small wins you can achieve weekly. Mark your progress focusing on the positive.

6. Know it is a game. Yes, it may be your life and your career, but it is a game. A game means that you participate. It’s not what’s being done to you. You have to let it. When you see you’re role in the action, then you can go back to #1: See yourself as a player and keep the game rolling along to a happy conclusion.

Get in the game and have fun,

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