There are many physical and psychological reasons why winning feels so amazing. It goes beyond receiving a trophy or award. You smile, feel a rush, and hold yourself more confidently.
Whether it’s a game, a career goal, or something else, you win, and there’s a lot of powerful and positive emotions going on in that moment (and afterward). Here are seven reasons why winning hits just right.
1. Brain Chemicals
Not to be all scientific or anything, but there is something to be said for what’s happening to your brain when you win. Just like when you exercise, there is a physical rush. Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” chemical, and it can certainly boost mood and help you have more energy. When dopamine releases at your winning moment, watch out, world, because you’re ready to take anything on now! The buzz you feel can make you want another victory, and soon – You’re going to be chasing more dreams, starting now.
2. Confidence Booster
When you do well at something, you’re more likely to want to do it again. Why? Because you feel more confident in your ability to do it. Winning is terrific because it reinforces the belief in yourself. With great confidence, you are going to try to get that “W” or win again and again. That might lead you to take on new opportunities and excel in other areas, from career to relationships. Being first to the finish line helps you realize how capable you are, and the next time a similar race happens, you’ll think back to the time everything fell into place and go for it with 100% effort again.
3. You’re Competitive – And That’s OK
Some people look negatively at winning as being egotistical, but really it’s more about self-care, and that’s a positive thing. Being competitive and wanting to win doesn’t mean you’re better than anyone else but instead that you are focusing on your own needs, and there’s nothing wrong with that, provided nobody gets hurt. Go for your goals and use your competitive spirit to help you go further. By the way, being competitive shows that you care, and that means a lot, rather than being a flaw. It can also make you more resilient, bouncing back after a loss to keep going until you get that win.
4. Making Progress
A win can symbolize progress. Rather than being stuck in a rut, you are moving forward when you take first prize at something, showing you practiced and put in the work to make that happen. Being stuck in one place for a while can cause your motivation to drop, so seeing progress can help you look at life more optimistically again. Progress shows you are growing and appeals to the goal-oriented individual you are. You might just say that progress is an emotional reward.
5. Mastery and Control
When you start to play Freecell after having loved Solitaire for years, and win a game, you feel in control and skillful. You’ve made it happen! You learned the rules, played some hands, and now you are making it look easy, even though it’s been a challenging game, by being so good at it. Once you master 1 Freecell, you can move on to 2 and 3 Freecell versions to add variety. Soon, you’ll be a master at those games, too. You’re having fun, and the wins fuel you to keep going. Each time you win, you feel that you are making the decisions that lead to the victory. That’s a great reminder in life in general that you influence many things in life and that the choices you make can lead to great things.
6. Bragging Rights
It feels good to tell others what you’re good at. As earlier said, if you’re not hurting anyone, that is. You can be respectful to others and also brag, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. Telling others about your accomplishments helps you feel good about yourself. Especially when you’ve worked hard to earn that accomplishment. It can also lead to a stronger sense of self. After all, finding out more about who you are comes from being skillful at things. Be proud of what you’ve done and use it to empower yourself for next time, especially if you had your own back when no one else did. You did this, and you drive to tell the world about what happened. Celebrate it!
7. Validation
You always thought you had a certain knack for some things, but it might not have been until you won a competition relating to it that you realized, hey, you really are a natural at that! A win can certainly be validating like that. It is an accomplishment that you can look back on and say that it shows you are good in that area. The strategy you used worked well, so you might just use it again. After all, who doesn’t want another victory? You also feel validated that all the effort you put into strategy paid off; it was well worth it in the end.
Being Real: It’s OK to Want to Win
This point can be a bit sensitive, as some people insist that they do not want to win as it means they’re arrogant. They might have the viewpoint that they don’t want to win; instead, they just appreciate having tried. While effort is great and does deserve validation, someone who wins deserves to be appreciated, too.
Winning and being respectful about celebrating it is a wonderful thing and nothing to be shy or embarrassed about. With much chaos and tension in the world right now, a personal win is a positive thing that deserves attention. Tell others you are proud of what you’ve done without making yourself sound better than them, and use this win to build back your self-confidence if you’ve lost it recently.
There is no shame in going for the win. Celebrate the accomplishment, rather than refraining from making known what you’ve done. Bring on the positive energy!
