The concept of “WIN,” is not a verb, it stands for “What’s Important Now” – a crucial framework for individuals and teams operating in high-pressure situations.
In fast-paced and often chaotic environments – whether in sports, business, or critical decision-making – it’s essential to focus on immediate priorities. By zeroing in on what matters most at any given moment, you can direct vital energy and focus towards the actions that have the most significant impact for a given outcome.
Vital Round at World Championships
Back in 2018, I was in a situation where asking the question ‘What’s Important Now’ was essential…
I was sitting in a small plane, ready to make a skydive with my team HayaBusa from Belgium. We were sharing the plane with the national team from France, and Airspeed; the team from USA. Flying 10,500 feet above the stunning region of Goldcoast, Australia, the views were simply breathtaking. But for me, the beautiful views didn’t come in to my head. I didn’t registered them, because I was stressed for the skydive to come. The jump; round 6, of the World Championships 4-way formation skydiving, had a tricky exit formation. That tricky first formation was followed by a fast, no… very fast combination. A potentially world-record-breaking combination, that could decide the outcome of this whole world meet right there and then.
Guiding Force
High-pressure scenarios like this can induce stress and uncertainty. This can cloud judgment and lead to mistakes. The WIN principle acted as my guiding force, helping me to concentrate on the immediate vital skydive rather than getting lost in a flurry of potential outcomes or past failures. The clear focus I needed, at that present moment, would enable me to make thoughtful decisions, enhance my performance and be ready to execute that imminent skydive under pressure.
Thoughts on run-in
Q – M – F – C – N … Q – M – F – C – N was playing on a loop, inside my head. That was the combination of formations for that round. As the French were opening the door and getting ready to jump, the combination kept playing in my head, Q – M – F – C – N, Q – M – …
‘What if I miss the count and fail the exit?’
This thought was not helping me, and thus I had to go for: ‘right foot on the edge of the door, body hanging low and facing the propellor’.
‘What if the pilot drops us above the ocean, with sharks present in those waters’
Nothing I could do about that, Dave my teammate would spot for us. I must let him and the pilot do their work, trust in them.
‘What if I brainlock and forget a formation? How will I tell my grandchildren this story later of how I messed up, and lost a world championship?’
Ridiculous thought, not helping, I made it go away by visualizing myself in free fall, executing flawlessly Q – M – F – C – N.
Gasp
Meanwhile Airspeed was in the door, as they left the plane a gust of wind entered, and a big gasp left Dave’s mouth. ‘Did you see that?’ he asked me. I made a waving gesture to dismiss his question and continued my focus. ‘What’s important now’ was not the jump from Airpeed, it was our Q exit formation, a good execution, followed by a fast pace. We needed to set it up very precisely in the door, ready to go all-out in these demanding circumstances. As we were climbing out I shifted my weight so I was balanced, hung low and facing the wind. Full focus on Dave, for his exit count. My timing needed to be spot on. We were about to make a life-altering jump…
Succes or failure would follow next.
WIN
What’s important now?
Timing and presentation!
As we jumped from the plane, it felt like a jolt of energy was being released in the team. We were hardly out of the door and going to our second point, into the third and fourth. I don’t think, I just do. Time seemed to be slowing down but we felt fast and strong. The jump seemed to go on for a long time, and we kept on repeating those 5 formations. When our altis eventually gave us the signal to break-off, we briefly celebrated before deploying our canopies. The jump went exceptionally well; nothing more we could do now but to wait, for the judging, for the scores.
The gasp Dave released on jump run, when looking at Airspeed’s exit, was because someone almost flipped on his back – a far from ideal way to start a potentially record-breaking skydive. The French had a similar issue, right after the launch, the Q formation sort of collapsed and left one team member out on his own. France scored 52 for their jump.
World Record
Airspeed from the USA, broke the world record for most formations built on a single competition jump. After the missed exit they quickly picked up speed, eventually scoring 60 points.
Their record would be short-lived however, minutes later the judging of our jump began. Team HayaBusa from Belgium: we scored 62!
Video: World Record 62 points, World Championships, Australia 2018
That high score has never been matched since in an international competition.
It still stands today as a world record. All this in great part thanks to a simple question: ‘What’s Important Now?’
Proactive Mindset
The WIN concept encourages a proactive rather than reactive mindset, empowering you to take charge of the situations. By regularly assessing ‘what is important now’, you can anticipate challenges and prepare strategically, rather than merely reacting to events as they unfold. This proactive attitude not only reduces anxiety but also fosters a greater sense of control and confidence, enabling you to thrive in high-stakes environments.
Embracing the WIN mindset is, therefore, an invaluable tool for achieving success and navigating the complexities of life’s pressures.
Jeroen Nollett
Article by Jeroen Nollet, Hayabusa team member and multiple 4-way FS World Champion. Originally published on Jeroen’s website blog, reproduced by permission
Why not check out his previous article, Stress for Success…
