I’m a pretty competitive guy. There have been times, however, particularly when I was younger when my competitiveness worked against me. Why? Because I hadn’t yet learned that I am my competition.
Whether I was in the classroom or in the gym or in a social setting, I sometimes held myself back from trying as hard as I could because i felt that I wasn’t as good as the competition. That made no sense because the competition always was me.
On any given day, you may be measured against others. That’s why they keep score at athletic events and why somebody else may get the job that you wanted. The man or woman that you desire might choose somebody else, and someone might be able to eat anything without seeming to gain weight. But these are normal occurrences in the the process of living life. They are not defining qualities or reasons to quit competing for the prize that you want. The kid who hits a home run to win the Little League game won’t make it to the majors unless he keeps competing against himself to make himself better. And the A student is not guaranteed a good job if he stops competing against himself and earns a reputation as a slacker.
Conversely, we all know stories of students who were told that they wouldn’t amount to much who actually did amount to quite a bit. Some of us actually may be working for them because they never stopped competing against themselves.
As I said, I’m competitive – but I’ve had my share of losses in competition with others. Losses, however, can be used as markers to measure your progress along the way to achieving your goals, rather than being reasons for you to quit. One of the great things about operating from a perspective that involves setting goals and working to achieve them is that it forces you to compete with yourself – and that person you are competing with can be one of the most helpful competitors that you can imagine.
To learn more about characteristics such a proactivity and perseverance that can help you effectively compete with yourself visit our website: www.TheMentalHealthGym.com.