3 Ways to Use Competition to Improve Your Life

One thing we hear constantly about competition is it goes hand in hand with comparing yourself to others, which is why it is often cited be toxic. By its very nature, competition is a tense rivalry between two or more parties to achieve a common a goal. However, the caveat is that the common goal cannot be shared. In order to achieve that goal, one party usually must meet the requirements for the goal in a manner that is more efficient than any other party that is attempting it.

Competition is everywhere. It manifests itself in nature, in economics, and even the dynamics of dating. One of the most obvious forms of competitions are through modern day gladiator games - sports, and humans as a species love it. The Olympic games which remains a tradition every four year dates back to the era of ancient Greece! And in modern times, not even a global pandemic can stop it. I personally believe that humans love sports because it is a universal pastime, and it also serves as a training ground to practice the challenges people will face in day to day life. Sports are built for you to level yourself up and if we examine the mentalities of some of the world’s greatest competitors we can use their wisdom to improve ourselves.

How so?

1. Competitors must learn how to adapt.

In Josh Waitzkin’s book, the art of learning, the chess prodigy stated that while studying critical positions, he noted the feelings he had during an actual chess game. He described that an error on the chess board mirrored some sort of psychological collapse within himself, and he noticed that this same psychological collapse manifested in his life. For example, when the tempo of a chess match changed, he found it difficult to adapt to the new situations that would be presented. The parallel to his life is that when he travelled the world for chess tournaments, he would often have to leave his family, his friends, and his partner behind - he found it difficult to transition from having a social lifestyle into one of solitude. His whole chess psychology was about holding on to what was, because he was fundamentally homesick. When he realized this connection he was able to manage these transitions on the chess board, and in his life, with more success. Can you think of anything in your life that you would ideally avoid, but repeatedly get caught by? What is leading you into that situation? How do you respond to that situation? How much time can we take to reflect on previous blunders?

2. Competitors have a very strong work ethic

Every single person that was successful at ANYTHING meaningful, were dedicated to the learning process. No matter how naturally talented they were, they trained, and never relied on their base skill or "natural talent" to carry them alone. They are exemplary of patience, persistence, and discipline being the true cost of entry into anything. Usain Bolt trained rigorously for over twenty years in his niche, which is incredible when you consider that his races only last for a few seconds. Kobe Bryant talked about waking up at 3:00 AM, and then starting practice at 4:00 AM. He'd stop at 6:00 AM, eat breakfast, take a break, then practice again from 9:00AM to 1:00 AM. Then in the afternoon he’d be back in the court or the gym from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and then again from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. By starting at 4:00 AM he gets to train much more every single day and he realized that by doing this over years, he gets so much more experience than his peers who don’t train as often every day. The result? The skill gap between him and his competition just keeps increasing. I’m not saying that we all have to subject ourselves to intense training sessions every day, but we can understand that in order to achieve greatness in anything, we have to put in the work, especially when nobody is watching.

3. Competitors don’t focus on anything they cannot control, they focus on improving themselves

Anyone who has played a game or a sport has experienced wins, and has suffered from a loss. Whenever you win, that means that in the moment, for whatever reason, you were more prepared than your opponent. If you lost, then it is the opposite. Generally, the rules of these games do not change, and it is up to the player to accept the conditions set out for them. Losing doesn’t feel good, but when the greats lose, they aren’t concerned with their height, their experience, their age, or their looks, or whatever. When we examine the greats, one thing that they all have in common is how they view competition and losing. Daigo Umehara, the world’s most successful Street Fighter player, states in his book that “Tournaments are a playground for people who practice for growth..." "...Once I made that realization I finally started making continued growth my goal, rather than winning”. With this mindset, winning Street Fighter tournaments became a benefit to just improving his skill at the game. Losing provided lessons. It should be emphasized that it doesn’t mean you have to be complacent or happy with losing. You just have to remember that it’s a requirement on the path to better yourself. When you lose, you are trading short-term discomfort for perspective and experience. And THIS is where you learn. When you frame it this way, you always gain something when you “lose”. The only requirements are an open mind, and the strength to not make excuses for yourself. When you tumble and fall, you need to look back at where you fell with a reminiscent smirk, and how you found the wisdom to take wiser steps forward. This is why the greats actively seek out challenges instead of running away from them.

I think everyone can benefit from a bit of competition in their lives especially if they learn to not take it personally. And there is one thing that all the points have in common. All of these considerations begin with self-reflection, and a mental adjustment follows. Interestingly, when it comes to dominating competition, it begins with yourself. The battle is largely you versus you. Being adaptable, being disciplined, and focusing on the factors in your control can lead to huge changes in yourself, and then those changes can lead to even greater changes beyond yourself. What do you think? Can we use competition to level up? Can we use competition to better the world?

Let me know.

Thank you for reading,

Orville