“Most games are lost, not won.” – Casey Stengel

Stengel predates most of you. He was the leader of baseball’s New York Yankees dynasty in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Very successful and his quote caught my eye.

Do you agree? On balance, when I reflect on negative outcomes in my life, they occurred when I didn’t execute. When I didn’t take care. When I didn’t play hard every play. The opportunities were lost, and I was the number one culprit.

And, while execution and skill weighed in on victories, it was taking advantage of openings created by competitors that created the winning edge.

It’s hard to live life at peak performance. You don’t skate through life error free. But Stengel’s quote reminds us that, the best results come to those who intend it. They focus more. They come to play. They do the little things daily that lead to positive results. It’s called building a way of life that sustains good results.

That’s winning. By first acting to avoid negative results.