How you define success is critically important.

Focus on things within your control, not circumstances over which you have none.

Winning, for example, is something you have little control over. Other competitors and external factors could derail your chances.

You’ll be crushed if things don’t pan out. Worse still, you won’t reach your full potential. You’ll be focused on beating the next guy’s potential instead of your own.

Doing your absolute best, however, is fully within your control. You can do something about it.

Define success in these terms. Define it by your level of effort instead of a scoreboard.

Of course, effort means nothing if you haven’t prepared.

Make giving full effort to preparation part of your definition of success.

Redefine success to mean giving maximum effort every day to everything in your life—family, friends, work, training, helping others, etc.

Do this and you’ll walk away a winner no matter what the scoreboard says.