Vince Lombardi famously said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," or some variation of that about winning. Do you think it's true?
I suspect the Denver Broncos think it is, since they won Super Bowl 50. It is true that, typically, the runner up isn't even remembered.
Sometimes our instincts are to minimize the value of winning. "It's ok if we don't win" or "I'll land the next big client" – but is it really just a justification? We all lose from time to time in our careers. So, it must be okay to lose.
But is it fine to convince ourselves that it is okay? I think it may be mediocre, and from what I've seen, that often has the effect of undermining the ability to give 100 percent.