Monday Morning Motivation – I love playing…
I may not win races, but by constantly challenging myself, I feel that I’m winning at life.
Are you competitive?
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Not in sport I’m not. In life I can be a little bit competitive but not compared with many people I know. I used to be an elite junior triathlete. No one remembers that I was a state school age champion or that I was national under 18s duathlon champion or that I was 12th in world juniors for duathlon in 1997. Realising that has put competition into perspective for me. It’s great to challenge yourself so long as you remember to enjoy it and have balance. I didn’t have balance and all that’s left of my years of hard training are overuse injuries that will be with me forever.
So yeah, I used to be fiercely competitive but 18 years later I’m pretty chill. I stop to take photos when I do actually enter races (I occasionally rogaine and adventure race with my sister)
Very cool reply, thanks for sharing! I have a daughter who “can run” and there’s a few elite/ex-elite around us so the balance you’re talking about is so important. It’s very good to hear your take on all this, great laid-back attitude 🙂
Great replies. I’ve definitely tried to ease off being competitive in the last couple of years, but I think it comes from the way I was brought up. Everything was competitive in my primary school and we were taught that if we hadn’t tried our hardest then we might as well not bother at all. Unfortunately, it sticks with me and makes me a perfectionist, so I struggle to do something if I think I won’t do it justice. My husband is the complete opposite. He has to do some work qualifications and his attitude is that he just needs a pass, so he’s not going to slave over them, whereas I would be aiming to get the highest mark possible.
On the whole though I think what really matters is what makes you better: if being competitive puts you in a position where you get hurt (either mentally or physically) then it’s wrong but if it’s a way for you to become the best you can then it’s fantastic. I’m definitely competitive (and would aim at the highest mark) but I also know that winning at all costs isn’t everything in life! 🙂