Temper Competition with Inspiration
Just seeing this picture of a baseball stadium gives me the chills. Oh, how I long for the days of live sports. There are few things in life that I love more than competition. As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago in my post, "Adaptation (Finding Success in a New Reality)," I have had to find new ways to satisfy this need in my life.
Competition is great for so many reasons. It is fun. It is challenging. It is rewarding. The feeling of finally defeating a skilled adversary makes all of the effort worthwhile. Competition drives businesses, sports teams, and young professionals to new heights. It can pull the best out of people.
There is a feeling that you get when you are striving for a goal in competition with others. When thinking about taking a break, you immediately remember that there is someone on the other side of town who isn't. Thinking of skipping a workout? Your competitive side pleads with you not to fall further behind your rival (known or unknown).
Competition drives us forward because we do not want to be left behind. We desire to beat the best and become the best. When pursued to the extreme, competition can begin to break us, though. The constant comparison and never-ending fear of falling behind wears on us. It can even begin to drain us of the desire that beget the competitive spirit in the first place.
How do we avoid this burnout? I think the answer can, at least partially, be found in inspiration. The world is full of amazing people and organizations. Surely, you are in competition with some of them. Take a moment to marvel at their success. A couple of weeks ago, I got to see a variety of final presentations from many of my peers at college. Sure, to some extent, I was in competition with them, but I was so inspired by the work that they did.
It was amazing to see all of the brilliant projects of my peers, and it caused me to dream even bigger than I had before. Respecting your competition and admiring their incredible work is not a sign of weakness. It opens new possibilities in your mind and can lead to incredible breakthroughs. I am not suggesting that you should become overwhelmed or in paralyzed awe of your competition's work. Frankly, as a competitor, I would find it hard to admit that I could not one day, with the requisite time and effort, surpass any triumph of my competition. However, recognizing its greatness and letting it inspire even more greatness in you is a beautiful thing.
I truly believe that competition and a competitive spirit are essential to success, but it does not have to be a cold, ruthless competition that belittles adversaries. Avoid burnout by letting your competition inspire you. Fill your mind with their greatness and dreams of your own greatness.
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