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Competitive Drive
Separating the Good and Great
Today’s Quote
Every quarterback can throw a ball; every running back can run; every receiver is fast; but that mental toughness that you talk about translates into competitiveness.
Coaches Corner
Do we still compete?
Are there any competitors left?
There are two things I notice about today’s competitors.
They’re too nice and lack the ability to finish someone off for the win.
Or they think being arrogant makes them a competitor.
In my recent experience people are shying away from competition.
Instead of embracing the challenge they back away from it.
When placed in a competition against someone else they don’t want to hurt their feelings.
Are we too nice?
Too soft?
Not hungry enough for success?
So comfortable we’ve forgotten how to battle someone for a spot.
We’re wired to compete.
Natural selection is literally known as survival of the fittest.
Our entire evolution and survival was a competition.
If you didn’t wake up ready to compete to live, you probably didn’t.
Where is that killer instinct?
Learning to be a competitor is a huge advantage.
It also makes you a great teammate.
Michael Jordan isn’t the greatest of all time because he was the tallest, fastest, best shooter, highest jumper.
No, he’s the greatest because he was the ultimate competitor.
Athletes like Kobe, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemons are revered for their competitive streak.
None of them had the best stuff of their sport.
You could probably find someone who’s better at a particular skill, but you won’t find anyone more competitive.
This competitiveness is the same reason why LeBron continues to fail to be recognized as the greatest to play the game.
It’s hard to argue he doesn’t have all the skills and attributes, but he’s missing something.
The competitive drive to never get beat.
No matter what your playing field looks like; court, arena, board room, conference hall, bank, or restaurant, when the lights come on there’s no one better.
Become the ultimate competitor, and refuse to lose.
Don’t let the hard work you put in slip away because you don’t want to be mean.
WIN.
Keep winning.
Never stop winning.
Be great.
Behind the Pillars
Competitiveness is a Doorway to Greatness.
It’s a link to several pillars.
Learning to turn on your competitive drive opens the door to a connection to mindset, discipline, resilience, and courage.
Being competitive is a mindset.
It’s a desire to never get beat.
It’s a drive to always perform at our best.
To improve.
Part of the competitive mindset is also seeing your situation for what it is and look for ways to improve.
Being competitive and being a sore loser are not the same thing.
Competitiveness can also drive our discipline.
The desire to win pushes us to do the work required to remain the best.
The mundane and monotonous tasks required to be great aren’t as difficult to attend to.
Our desire to win outweighs our desire to have fun in every moment.
Because winning and being the best is the fun.
Practice is for getting better.
Being competitive can also spark resilience.
Instead of shying away from a loss, we lean into it.
We want another chance to get out there and compete again.
We embrace this learning opportunity as a way to improve even more.
Our goal is singular, to win.
In order to become our best we must be open to continuously learning and growing.
This means accepting losses as chances to prove our toughness.
To prove our drive to improve.
Lastly, competitiveness inspires courage.
You don’t fear a moment when you’re a competitor.
You embrace every challenge as a chance to shine as the greatest.
Each opportunity to show what you’re made of is exactly what you’ve dreamed about.
You don’t fear losing because, you either win or you learn.
Losing doesn’t exist.
You become fearless in competition because the ultimate goal every time you compete is to win.
You’re willing to do whatever it takes.
The only real question is what action must I take next.
As you can see, learning to compete is powerful.
It connects you to several of the pillars of greatness.
You could also probably loosely tie it to purpose, commitment, and people.
Learn to compete.
Every day is an opportunity to get better.
Win the day.
Whether you’re competing with yourself or against others, become a formidable foe.
Win the day.
A World of Greatness
It’s baseball season. Which means it’s time to get some sun, dirt, the sound of wood against leather, and the smell of fresh cut grass and hot dogs. I love summer. And baseball is summer. But there’s a new kid in town embracing the joy of baseball with the entertainment of summer time, and that’s the Savanna Bananas. If you’ve never heard of them, it’s time to get introduced. Check out this video.
The other day I came across one of the most incredible videos. It’s a video of Simon and Garfunkel singing “Baby Got Back” by There I Ruined It. This video was so good on so many levels. But don’t take it from me, check it out for yourself here.
NGBN TV is wanting to train 100,000 people in Suicide First Aid on April 6th. This is a free event aimed at saving men’s lives. Sign up today!
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Did you know?
I often forget to share all the ways you can connect and get involved with the Edge of Greatness project.
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Need a Coach?
As an athlete I always appreciated good coaching.
It often made the difference between a successful season and an average one.
When you’ve got big goal to compete at the highest level, it helps to have someone looking at the big picture, while you focus on the specific actions.
Have you got something big coming up?
Need someone to help organize the path forward?
Let me know what you’re working on and we’ll see if I’m the right fit.
I've spent the last 15 years working with clients as a personal trainer and coach helping them build healthy sustainable habits.
During this time I've learned the psychology of habit creation, the power of systems, and why simple works better.
I'd love to help you reach your goals.
I'm currently looking to add 2 new coaching clients to my roster.
If this sounds interesting to you, connect with me today and let's schedule a call to see if we're a good fit for each other.
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Thanks for Stopping By
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