• Excellence Beyond Competition

    edited by Alexander Becker on August 27, 2006 | Link

    Competition is the quest for achieving superior results, the best results in a specific field, in business, in sports, or in social activities, the best results compared to others. Competition is the fight for a limited resource, for a prize or for an award. The fighting around abilities and skills often takes place as a somehow organized contest with rules that are agreed upon to be followed in order to accurately measure the results. Other competitions are based on rivalry -- two parties are fighting to dominate a market, or they are fighting for the first place in a race in sports, or in science.

    Competition usually involves two or more competitors with the goal of determining a clear winner. It is the simultaneous demand for a reward or for a resource that causes competition.

    Now, what about competing with yourself? You are the winner in every competition you participate in and still declare yourself the loser. This is where excellence comes into play, success in competition is about being the best while true excellence is about being your best.

    The main difference between being the best and being your best is the lack of competition. You are only competing with yourself, specifically with your past self.

    Competition is about finding out who is the best. But you don't have to find out. I tell you who is the best. You are. You wouldn't participate in any competition if you weren't sure that you are the best? Would you participate when you knew you wouldn't be able to give your best? In order to compete you have to prepare yourself for the competition. You train and you strive to excel. The goal is to be your very best. Now, being your best, why do you need to compete with others? You aren't getting any better anymore, anyway. And since you trained until achieving personal excellence, you aren't getting worse than yourself either.

    You are the best. That's it. There is no competing with others. What is the point in finding out who is better when the competitors are each at their absolute, personal best? Other than vanity?

    Find out your best. Build on top of past successes or, even failures, competing only with yourself. It's the most humble form of competition and the hardest one at the same time.

    Discover how to be better than yourself. Chase excellence in whatever you do. In pursuing excellence, creativity is freed from competition and everything is focused on the act of creating. Only then do you arrive at your very best.

    Do not hesitate to help your competitors achieve their best as well. In order to determine the real best, do everything to have every participant in any competitive situation to excel. Do not celebrate rivalry. Participate in any competition only for fun.

    Excellence beyond competition is not being better than anyone else. Excellence beyond competition is the necessity of giving your very best in every situation and without competing for an award or profit or whatever reward you are usually fighting for.

    Excellence beyond competition is boxing without weight limits, it is small business competing with big business. You are not going to abstractly win but to give all that you are, whatever it takes. Win not against somebody else, not even against yourself, but win being yourself.

    One more thing: Never say I give my best, never use giving your best as an excuse, never mention that you are in fact and always giving your best. Just do it. And win.

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