Mind over Matter in Winning

I read this interesting article by Eddy Matzger on winning. Though he wrote it in a skating context, I think it applies as much to business, starting up, or just life in general. Here are some of the key points that I really liked (it has some verbal jugglery from me). To read the actual article, visit:
http://www.skatecentral.com/custom/articles/inline.magazine/beating.the.dutch.html

Don't hold back. Attack, attack, attack. Live every breakaway attempt (trying to go out on your own, testing an idea in the market) as if it were your first, your last, the only breakaway of your life. If you only make a half-hearted effort at trying to stay away (or whatever you set out to do), the pack will catch up at a leisurely pace while you slowly tire out, then pass you as if you were standing still.

Grin and bear it (my mom says "suffer in silence"). If you broadcast how tired you are, a feeding frenzy will take place and you'll be chewed up and spit out. Smile instead of grimacing in pain, lest your competitors sense your weakness and drop you mercilessly. One telltale sign of being really tired is a blank face, like the "uh-oh" look of a cross-eyed baby pooing in his diapers. You can also gauge someone's strength by how talkative they are. If you try to engage them in conversation, and they either don't respond or talk back in one or two word grunts, you know they're hurtin' and it's probably time to attack.

Offer encouragement to your break-mates. The success of any group always depends on its chemistry, and if you have somebody who's just along for the ride, the venture can be doomed. Mutual cooperation is the name of the game before the finish draws near. If you are verbally supportive of the people with you, you increase the chance that the venture will stick, because your team will put in their fair share of work as well.

Don’t look back. Any decision taken in the past does not matter. It is what you do with what you have right now that does.

Be mentally strong. Even if you don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning, always race for 1st place. The minute you settle for anything but a win, you've basically given up, and it becomes too easy to do it again next time. Never give in. Never settle in your head for anything less than 1st place. When you don't win, throw up your hands and tell yourself you'll get it next time.

Have a gambler's mentality. Take your chances and lay it all out on the line when you're at it. The more you gamble the better your odds of winning become.