Make no mistake, life is a competition. However, your opponent might not be who you think it is. Here’s how to compete with yourself!
Do you ever feel like days keep going by, you are getting old and nothing exciting seems to happen? Well, we’ve identified some of the core reasons behind your issues. Let’s dive in and learn how to compete with yourself!
All your friends on social media seem to be working hard, traveling, making progress, and living their best lives. And there’s you, sitting on your couch and scrolling through your phone, chewing on that fast and cheap dopamine.
But, what if we told you that you are being fed a destructive lie? What if we told you, that you are trapping yourself in a vicious cycle of stagnation?
And the only one responsible for all of this is you. Read through the end to find out why and how to fix it before it’s too late!
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to read the article, you can enjoy the video below or watch it on YouTube:
First, some hard pills to swallow
People are always competing with each other, from school rankings to sports games to job promotions to social media likes.
But this kind of competition will only hold you back and, over time, turn you into one of those “social justice warriors” who would rather yell at a screen than make their bed first thing in the morning.
So, here’s an alternative: How about competing with yourself instead?
We know that what we just said is different from what most people think and maybe even from what our parents taught us.
But if you don’t like where you are now, you need to change your way of thinking and start over. We all have biases, whether we want to admit it or not.
And we try to give you advice that is unbiased and useful. Here’s our take on the matter at hand:
Psychological and Scientific Facts
Let’s start with the Social Comparison Theory because you need to understand how your brain works before trying any quick fix.
The ”Social Comparison Theory”, was introduced by social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954.
This theory explains why it is in our nature to judge ourselves by comparing our skills, accomplishments, and traits to those of other people.
Festinger argued that people have a natural need to get accurate self-evaluations and lessen their doubts about themselves. He said that social comparison is a way to do this. Before you learn how to compete with yourself, you need to understand what social comparison is.
There are two main types of social comparisons that you need to be aware of: Upward & Downward comparisons.
Let’s take a closer look at each type and understand what they’re all about
Upward social comparison
Upward social comparison occurs when we compare ourselves to people we think are better than us in some way. This can happen because they are more successful, have better skills, or have a higher social status.
This kind of comparison can sometimes inspire and motivate us to get better.
However, this competition can also lead to feelings of envy, inferiority, and low self-esteem. Especially if the gap between us and the person we’re comparing ourselves to seems unbridgeable.
Downward social comparison
Downward social comparison, on the other hand, is when we compare ourselves to people who we perceive as being inferior to us in some way.
This kind of comparison can sometimes make us feel better about ourselves or our situation. Additionally, it can boost our self-esteem and give us a sense of relief.
Factually, this affects a lot of people who like to talk trash and pick on other people.
Doing this can make you lazy, stop you from growing as a person, and create negative emotions like contempt or pity.
But how we see other people is just a reflection of how we see ourselves.
You’ve probably experienced behavior like this in your own life.
Competition – Why do we do it?
Well, several factors can influence our tendency to engage in social comparisons. Some of these factors include:
Personal Attributes: People with low self-esteem or high levels of self-doubt are more likely to engage in social comparisons.
This comes as a way to validate themselves and feel better about themselves.
Situational Factors: Situations that provoke uncertainty or threat to our self-concept can also trigger social comparisons.
For example, when you start a new job or go through a big change in your life, you might start to compare yourself to other people in your circle.
If you catch yourself doing that, just know this: you just fell prey to social comparison.
The Presence of Others: We are more likely to compare ourselves to others when we are around people we consider our peers.
The good news is that you can solve most of these with the right mindset. Here are a few strategies:
#1 – Cultivate Self-Awareness
Notice when you’re comparing yourself to other people and acknowledge the feelings and thoughts that come with it.
By learning more about yourself, you can shift your attention back to your growth and goals.
#2 – Practice Gratitude
Regularly practicing gratitude can help counteract the negative effects of social comparison.
How? By focusing on the positive aspects of your life and acknowledging your achievements.
#3 – Limit Exposure to competition triggers
Social media can be a significant source of social comparison.
Consider spending less time on these platforms or unfollowing accounts that make you feel jealous or like you’re not good enough.
Remember that most people who have influence just try to sell your dream life. They don’t have it. But by showing you an ideal, they get the money they need to make it happen.
The time on your watch is money for them. More people need to know this.
The Hedonic Treadmill
Pay attention to this one because it’s cool.
The Hedonic Treadmill, also called the Hedonic Adaptation, is a theory about how we tend to return to a fairly stable level of happiness or well-being, no matter what good or bad things happen to us.
This idea was first put forward by psychologists Brickman and Campbell in the 1970s. Since then, many studies have added to and supported this idea.
When we focus on competing with others, we often look for things like success, material possessions, or social status outside of ourselves to make us feel better or more successful.
The Hedonic Treadmill argues that even though getting these things may make us happy for a short time, our overall happiness will eventually go back to where it was before because we adapt and get used to things.
This means that the happiness you get from doing better than other people doesn’t last long. The sentiment only persists if you’re the one in competition with yourself.
When you compete with yourself, on the other hand, you shift your attention from outside factors to your growth and improvement.
By setting personal goals and trying to be the best version of yourself, you can better find your motivation. Therefore, you can focus on activities that are in line with your values and interests.
This method will help you build a sense of purpose and happiness that is less affected by the Hedonic Treadmill.
Now, we know that in theory, all of these things are fun to understand.
You can’t completely get rid of these habits because, at some point in the past, they probably helped the species evolve. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it in a structured way.
Now, enough with the explanations. Let’s put everything we’ve learned to use.
Practical Strategies for Self-Competition
Here are some things you can do daily to make the competition with yourself smoother:
Set Personal Goals
Setting goals for yourself is a great way to compete with yourself.
Your goals should be SMART, which means they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
This means you need to know exactly what you want to accomplish. Then break it down into steps, set a deadline, and check in on your progress often.
By doing this, you can make a plan for your growth and stay motivated to reach your goals.
Reflect on Your Progress
Self-competition is impossible without reflection.
Taking the time to think about how far you’ve come helps you stay focused on your goals. Moreover, it helps spot potential problems and come up with ways to deal with them.
Assess your successes, setbacks, and areas where you can improve regularly.
This will keep you on track and, if necessary, change your plan.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is a great way to keep track of your progress and push yourself to do better. Write down your goals, what you’ve done, what’s hard, and what you’ve learned.
This will let you keep track of your progress, and stay accountable and motivated.
Also, when you look back at your journal, you can see how far you’ve come and be proud of your achievements.
Embrace Failure
Self-competition means seeing failure as a chance to get better.
When you compete with yourself, you should look at failures as lessons you can learn from.
By seeing failure as a chance to learn and get better, you can get back on your feet faster and keep going.
Celebrate Small Victories
Self-competition requires that you recognize and enjoy your small wins.
Keeping yourself motivated and remembering how far you’ve come becomes easier when you notice your progress and celebrate your successes.
Don’t wait for big accomplishments to be proud of yourself; be proud of everything you’ve done, no matter how small it seems.
Key Takeaways
The goal of self-improvement is to be better than you were yesterday. Every day, push yourself to grow, learn, and get better.
In the end, you’ll realize that the only person you were ever supposed to compete with was yourself.
And as we wrap up our talk for the day, let’s go over the main points we’ve talked about:
By emphasizing self-competition, you put personal growth and self-awareness at the top of your list. This will make you feel more satisfied.
You need to keep in mind that competing with yourself doesn’t mean ignoring all feedback from outside sources.
Instead, it’s about shifting your focus from getting approval from other people to growing and getting better yourself.
By noticing and learning from the things other people have done well, you can get ideas and motivation to do better yourself.
Don’t forget that it’s not all about getting to the end as quickly as possible. How you get there is equally important.
And the fairest and most satisfying way to get there is to compete with yourself.
Bonus Tip – Use tools to stay on top of things
There is one other tool that is guaranteed to help you outperform your old self – The Alux App. It’s the top performance-enhancing app that will help fast-track your journey from where you are to where you want to be. Try it out for 10 minutes per day and see your life turn around!
With that being said, we hope that after reading this piece, you’re wiser than you were before. And that’s all that matters.
Now you know how to compete with yourself. It’s time to apply your knowledge and start performing! See you next time
