Sportscasters are dolts.  Either that or they need some new material.  Almost every time a team – any team – wins a big game, someone in the glorified peanut gallery will say, “They wanted it more,” as if desperation is the key to success.  Wrong.  So wrong.

Wanting is for weaklings.  It’s like hoping, or wishing, or even begging.  When you want something really badly it means you don’t have it, and you’re hoping you will get it.  It means you’re not sure of yourself, and you’re relying on some unseen force to give it to you.

Sure, you have to want to win in order to get your ass to practice – or work – every day.  And you have to have desire and passion for what you’re doing in order to achieve anything.  But wanting is never what wins the game.  Certitude is.

When you believe without a doubt that you will win you eliminate all other options.  When you merely want to win you leave room for the possibility that you won’t, so there’s always a chance that you might fall flat on your face.

In order to win consistently, you need to remove any likelihood of failure, and the only way to do that is to believe in the outcome.  There are countless books on this subject, and if you have time to read them, by all means do.

In the meantime, here’s a quick run down on the basics of cultivating unwavering belief (consider it a playbook for your winning team):

1. Get Rid of Plan B: There is no backup plan for winners – there is only winning.  When you come up with a strategy for handling a potential loss, you invite that loss into the realm of possibility.

Are you sure you want to do that?  And, if by some freakish circumstance you do lose, do you really want to lean on that stale old Plan B?  No, you want the new, improved, guaranteed-to-win-this-time plan – a plan that is informed by your hard-won experience.

2. Talk the Talk:  Don’t hedge your bets when you’re talking with friends or colleagues.  Speak with absolute authority about your intended outcome.  You don’t have to be an arrogant dick about it, just calmly state your belief and get on with your day.

Don’t use phrases like, “If we win” or “If we are lucky enough to get this deal.”  Instead, start replacing the word “if” with “when.”  Start saying “I am” instead of “I will.”  They are small but powerful changes, and will help you maintain your belief in the win.

3. Walk the Walk:  This is another way of saying, “act as if.”  Plan for the win, and take action.  How will you behave differently when you achieve your goal?  What are the next steps after your win?  What should you have lined up and at the ready to go so that you can make the most of your win once you accomplish it?

If there is something you’re putting off doing until you get your win start doing it now.  The win is already yours, so why wait?

Believing you’ll win the game is the key to winning, whether you’re playing a sport, building a business, or competing for the hottest catch in town.  Believing you will get whatever you’re jonesin’ for is the surest way to make it happen; wanting something is the surest way to get more of the same: want.

Be strong in your conviction, rather than weak in your wishing and hoping.  It’s survival of the fittest, palsy-walsy, and you’ve got to pump up those muscles.  Believe and it’s yours.