What does it mean to compete with yourself?
Sounds crazy?
No, crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Competing with yourself is trying something different and getting it right to get the best results.
When people talk about being competitive, it usually involves comparing one person’s skills and abilities to others’ abilities and skills.
When you think about every person being unique, competing with another person seems a tad bit ridiculous. I know we are competitive beings, but competition with others can be negative and not constructive. Competitive constructiveness is applying best practices and refining them to your style. Negative competitiveness is downplaying your abilities because, in comparison to others’ abilities, you ‘re unable to shine or win.
The playing field, bodies, and minds will never be equal.
Can a 55-year-old female athlete compete with a 25-year-old athlete?
Should we even expect such a thing?
Even if the answer to this question is yes, does it prove anything about each individual’s self-worth?
What about competing with yourself?
Being the best version of you athletically, intellectually, spiritually, and in any other manner is what we all want.
To become the best version of me, I should compete with myself. When someone compares me to another person, I won’t feel bad whether I am first best or second-best because I will be at my best.
This shift in thinking discourages thoughts about others being better than we are. The word better can lead to insecurities, misgivings, and other self-esteem issues.
These things can sabotage an individual’s progress. We can progress faster and create more self-confidence when we compete with ourselves.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t recognize others’ abilities and give them kudos.
When they are at their best, and you’re at your best, everyone wins. We can complement those who win the game, but we can also complement those who completed the game.
I know people thrive on competition. And there is nothing wrong with competition as long as the second, third, fourth, and the winner recognizes there can’t be winners without other players.
There will always be someone who can do a certain thing better. And one day you will be the winner. But remember, no participants, no winner.
If you give it your best every day, week, month, and year, you will discover your talents and abilities and be able to achieve your dreams and ambitions. You will be at your best.
Finding what fulfills us and makes us happy takes time. Someone said it might even take a lifetime. But things happen when we focus and fine-tune our abilities. Competing with yourself is the best way to learn what you want in life.
Know what you know, do the best in what you do, and declare yourself a winner!
Stay safe.