The Athlete’s Playbook: What’s Important Now?

One simple question can help you reset, refocus and move forward: ‘What’s Important Now?’ Or, more simply: WIN.

What WIN Means

WIN is a technique used in sports psychology to bring your attention back to the present moment.

Why does that matter?

Because in sport, things don’t always go to plan.

• You run a rep slower than you wanted.
• You make a mistake. You false start.
• Your event is delayed.
• You pick up an injury.

Or perhaps you’re just having one of those training sessions where nothing feels quite right.

It’s easy to get stuck thinking about what has already happened:

‘Why did I do that?’ ‘What if I mess up again?’

But you can’t change the last rep, the false start or the delay.

You can choose what you do next.

That’s where WIN comes in.

Asking What’s Important Now in Training and Races

Imagine you’re doing a set of sprint reps and it doesn’t go as well as you’d liked.

Instead of carrying the frustration into the next one, ask: ‘What’s important now?’

Perhaps it’s: Relax my shoulders, listen to my coach and focus on the next rep.

Or you false start in a race.

You can’t undo it, so ‘What’s important now?’

Maybe it’s: Stay calm, reset and prepare for the next start.

Your event is delayed by 30 minutes.

You got it… ask ‘What’s important now?’

It may be: Keep warm, manage my energy and be ready when I’m called.

WIN can help with bigger setbacks too.

If you’re injured, it’s natural to think about the training or competitions you’re missing.

But ‘what’s important now?’ might shift your focus towards doing today’s rehab well and taking the next step towards getting fit again.

WIN isn’t about pretending that disappointment, nerves or frustration don’t exist. It’s about accepting what has happened and then bringing your attention back to what you can control now.