We all love to win. It’s natural. Scoreboards light up our competitive brains. But what if I told you that some of your most valuable wins have nothing to do with the score? At Mental Pickleball, I coach players to shift their focus from “Did I win the game?” to “Did I win the work?” Because if your only measure of success is the final score, you're going to feel like a failure more often than not — especially on days when your shots are off or your opponents are strong. But when you shift your lens to effort, growth, and presence — you start stacking wins regardless of what the scoreboard says. Here’s what that looks like:
- Set Process Goals
Instead of “Let’s win this game,” try:
- “Let’s communicate every point.”
- “Let’s stay composed after every miss.”
- “Let’s play smart, not just hard.”
These are the wins you control.
- Track Mental Effort
Did you reset after a bad shot? That’s a win.
Did you encourage your partner when they struggled? Win.
Did you stay present in the last five points even when you were down? Huge win. - Reframe Losses as Data
Even when you lose, you learn. That learning — when you’re paying attention — becomes your next breakthrough.
Today’s challenge:
After your next match, ignore the score for a second. Ask yourself: “What did I do well mentally today?”
That’s how champions think.
That’s how players grow.
