There isn’t a single, definite explanation of what competition means. There are numeral ways one can approach the topic of competence and what it represents. In this article, we want to talk about one not-so-popular albeit crucial understanding of competition, important for the likes of an athlete.
Competition is… well when you compete in something, right? At least that’s what we’ve all been told growing up. Often people will put an accent on it when it comes to growth and development. That is for a reason, no doubt. If you wish to improve and find success in life then you will need to compete. Either against others or against yourself. We’re here to talk about the latter. The personal competition.
Just how much we have to fight against ourselves is not a topic often revised. That is why we decided to highlight what internal or personal competition means, how one should perceive it, and lastly, how to remain victorious in seemingly unwinnable battles. This especially goes out to all the athletes out there, struggling to achieve everyday goals. Although, every single person has their own demons, not just athletes.
In any case, let’s start off by saying this one important sentence. Your competition is not other people.
Feel free to continue reading below or watch the video version below from Our YouTube Channel.
Procrastination
Have you been postponing your workouts indefinitely? You’re not the only one. Truth be told, everyone skips a workout every once in a while and that isn’t something to be ashamed of. Except for David Goggins, but he’s just built differently.
Laziness, a few long days in a row, chores, work… all of these can make you skip the workout you planned out. Just remember, you can’t let the procrastinator inside of you win every day. This is an important fight you have to take.
The only way you can end procrastination is if you get up and do something. Move, move, move! Just stand up and start from somewhere. If all you can give is 10 minutes of exercise then go for those 10 minutes. What matters is that you don’t just give up on a workout completely! Beat your competition, beat procrastination!
Hint: Use mornings to your advantage. Starting off the day with doing a chore will ensure that your day becomes more productive overall.
Your ego
One stupid mistake because of “I can do this” and you’re out for the whole season. Is it worth it? Not really.
One of the biggest opponents for each and every one of us is our own ego. No one can bring us to the point of breaking like we can do it ourselves. The voices in our minds can be hard or even impossible to shut off.
The ego is a wild animal, always wanting more. That is why it’s a seriously dumb idea to leave it untamed. It simply needs to be caged at times. Do not let your instinct guide you on your journey. Every time you have trouble on your mind try your damn hardest to stop and reflect on what is happening. An interesting thing you can try is simply breathing slowly and concentrating on the things that could go wrong.
We need that voice at times in order to find the passion or energy and actually do the things we want. Therefore, the ego inside of us has a purpose. What’s important to grasp is that some balance is needed in order to keep your health and well-being in check.
Lack of focus
Being stranded all over the place can be a tough opponent to tackle. If you split your focus on multiple fields simultaneously there is a good chance that none of the eggs in your basket end up hatching. Be careful.
We’re not saying that you shouldn’t explore your interests, try out different things and pursue multiple goals. Rather, once you’ve found what you’re passionate about try and stick to that exact set of things that you like. Otherwise, you might be in an endless loop of trying out the new stuff but without much success in anything particular.
So remember, consistency is needed if you want to perfect your hobby, job, profession…or anything else, really.
The unhealthy food
One of the biggest enemies that we face every single day is the nutritional choices that come our way. Constantly bombarded by the unhealthy food around us, we have to make sacrifices for the sake of our health, weight program, muscle goals, etc. That takes a small toll on us every single day. Especially if you’re of the rigid kind.
We need to understand that nutrition is comprised of good and poor nutritional choices. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with the food itself. It is our disbalance in the amount of food that gets us. Try your best to intake more of the “good” and less of the “bad” food.
The real struggle is listening to your belly and stopping the overeating which tends to happen with salty and sweet food. That requires discipline and mindfulness. These things don’t come as easily as some other traits, so work on them every single day, little by little.
The ignorance
If our mind was a person he would definitely be one lazy prick. The mind doesn’t like to work… at all. It needs to be pushed over and over again if you want it to actually do something for you.
Like our bodies, the mind needs constant workouts in order to function properly. Many people aren’t aware of how ignorant they are until it’s too late and they already make a mistake. That mistake can be tiny and insignificant but it can also be huge and compromising.
Take the time to learn something new every single day even regardless of the cost and effort that you have to put in for that to take place. Trust us, it is the only way for you to fend off prejudice and misunderstandings, something that we have too much of in this world.
Important to remember
Take some time to think of what you’re really competing against. Most of the time it is not others, but yourself. The biggest obstacles we have to face are not that big. We wage tiny battles every single day and they make out to be a big thing in the end.
Master your ego, be conscious of the food you eat, read and educate yourself, cut the habit of postponing your duties and center your attention on what matters to you. These are some of the ways by which you can find leverage over the only opponent which you have to fight your entire life – yourself.
