Playing with the mindset of “Nothing to Lose” vs. “Everything to Lose” and How it Impacts Training & Performance
Recently, I worked with a few swimmers who were conference champions in their events last year. A similar theme seemed to emerge for the winners – the pressure to “uphold their title” and the fear of letting their coaches and teammates down if they don’t win again. They came to me feeling stuck, unmotivated & unable to enjoy the sport in the same way they were before they created high levels of success. I’ve seen the same pattern for athletes who I’ve coached who made the U.S. Olympic team.
When we take a look back on who they were when they won those races– they were swimming with nothing to lose. They were enjoying the journey and they were excited by possibility. Once they had reached a certain level of success – there suddenly was a fear and pressure to uphold that level of success – which started negatively impacting the enjoyment they were experiencing in training and creating higher levels of anxiety in performance.
Understanding the ‘Nothing to Lose’ Mindset
In sports psychology, the ‘nothing to lose’ mindset refers to an athlete’s approach to competitionwith a sense of freedom and minimal fear of consequences. This attitude can unlock a range of benefits:
Psychological Freedom:Athletes with this mindset often experience less pressure and more creativity. They are more likely to try new techniques or strategies without the fear of failure.
Increased Risk-Taking: Without the burden of high stakes, athletes can take risks that they might otherwise avoid. This can lead to unexpected success and breakthrough performances.
Enhanced Enjoyment:Competing with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude often increases the enjoyment of the sport. Athletes are more likely to stay present in the moment and savor the experience.
Improved Performance: This mindset can lead to a state of flow, where athletes perform at their best, often effortlessly. The absence of overthinking allows for a more natural and fluid performance.
The Pressure of ‘Everything to Lose’
The ‘everything to lose’ mindset in sports psychology is characterized by the perception of high stakes, where an athlete feels a significant burden of expectation. This mindset can be common in high-level competitions and is often associated with the following:
Psychological Impacts:Athletes experiencing this mindset often face heightened stress and a fear of failure. They may adopt conservative strategies, avoiding risks to protect their standing or reputation.
Effects on Performance and Decision-Making:This stress can affect both mental and physical performance, leading to overly cautious decisions or hesitation during critical moments in competition. Athletes might also experience a decline in their ability to adapt to changing situations in the game due to anxiety and pressure.
Mental Health Considerations: Long-term, the ‘everything to lose’ mindset can take a toll on an athlete’s mental health. It can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and even contribute to anxiety and depression if not managed properly.
The key to handling this mindset lies in recognizing its signs and employing strategies to mitigate its negative effects, such as developing a growth mindset. This idea is discussed in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s article on “Revisiting Growth Mindset as a Core Capacity of Sport Psychology.”
Adopting a growth mindset helps athletes view challenges as opportunities for improvement, rather than threats to their status or career.
How to shift to the “nothing to lose” mindset and perspective:
- Once you’ve achieved a certain goal – you’ve become a new person. You already ARE that success. You’ve already created it. Instead of focusing on success external to you – think about who you had to become in the process of reaching that goal and realize that nobody can take that away whether or not you win another title.
- Re-define your goals – it’s easy to get “comfortable” once you have already won a title or achieved the original goal. Take some time to reflect on what goals feel exciting and meaningful for you the next time around. What would expand you even more? What do you want to get better at and how can you make improvements?
- Refocus your energy on why you love your sport – focus on what you enjoy about the day to day process more, dial in on where you can continue to improve, and trust the best outcomes will happen as a byproduct of daily focus – you can’t control what anyone else does.
Final Thoughts
When you catch yourself feeling the pressure to uphold and sustain the level of success you’ve created – know that this is NORMAL. Your human brain is designed this way… This is why companies often offer “free products” and let you know that if you don’t like what you purchased, you can send it back. They are taking advantage of human psychology – our brains do not like to “lose” what we have already gained.
When it comes to sport – this fear of “losing” may seem productive – but it can create additional stress and pressure when you are playing and competing – and too much of this stress can cause your body to tighten up & for you to lose the magic that created your success in the first place.
So start to notice when this happens in your body and how it impacts your daily practices, competitions & life outside of sport. Ask yourself what you will make it mean about you if you don’t perform up to expectations. Remember WHY you play your sport and how it feels when you are playing as if you have nothing to lose. This may look like having more fun, being more free, and letting things feel lighter on a day to day basis. Connect back to your goals in a way that makes you excited versus pressured and think about who you would be and how you would show up each day if you weren’t afraid of the outcome.
