Feature Image by Brooke Cagle

It’s the last 10 minutes of your fitness class and you’re pushing yourself harder than you ever have before. Then, you look over and see that person you always take class with is killing it – putting your effort to shame.

At this moment, it’s probably hard to resist feeling defeated or extremely competitive, but going too far in either direction will lead to undesirable behavior.

However, healthy competition can be a good thing – it pushes you forward, helps you think differently, and fosters meaningful relationships.

Below, we’re sharing four tips on navigating the fine line between healthy and unhealthy competition in any setting.

Gamification
This is a tried-and-true theory in many circles. It takes away a lot of the underlying stress that comes with competition and allows you to think or execute creatively. If you turn what would normally be a prickly battle into something that requires collaboration, or even better, into something that’s fun and exciting, people are more willing to consistently participate in a positive way.

Build a community
If you break it down, competition is really just about interacting with other people in pursuit of the same goal – and the ideal circumstance is to build a strong, vibrant, supportive community. There will always be someone out there “better than you.” You might as well get them in your tribe so you can learn, grow, and struggle with them by your side.

Draw value from the process (not just the results)
It’s easy to obsess about the end product. Did you succeed or did you fail? Did you win or lose? This is a mistake. Serena Williams, the legendary embodiment of elite competition, once said, “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall.” To paraphrase this icon: respect the process. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and those around you if you do.

Compete with yourself
Would you think it wise to stake all of your happiness on something outside yourself, such as a relationship or job? Probably not. Similarly, do you want to define your progress and growth on someone else’s milestones? Again, probably not. The most satisfying thing you can do is to compete with yourself and realize when you’ve smashed that seemingly impossible goal. If competition seems overwhelming, focus on being just 1% better than the person you were yesterday.

Finally, there’s no scarcity of success to be had in the world because success isn’t a finite resource. If someone succeeds, that doesn’t mean there’s less to go around. When we focus on healthy ways to compete, we’re elevating the playing field for everyone including ourselves.

xx, The FabFitFun Team

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