Is It OK to be Competitive??

'I am not competitive'

I hear this so much it makes me want to puke.

For the most part I don't hold the people verbalizing this too blame they are merely reacting to what has been drummed into them over and over again by various societal forces.

The part of this that I find so irritating is that is basically cutting the legs out from under anyone who is really shooting for success.

Because that ‘little voice’ is always there in the in the back of their mind saying:

‘you aren't competitive’

‘ you don't want to be competitive that's not what good boys/girls do’


This really sucks, no matter how hard someone may try, that little voice is always there sabotaging them.

Being competitive has far greater implications than fat loss and physical training.

Let me illustrate by telling a personal story, I grew up on a farm and on farms there are trees, and some times trees have branches that fall to the ground.

It just so happens when you grow up on 1500 acre farm there are lot of damn tress and hence a lot damn dead branches on the ground.

Well my dad used to think it was a good idea that me and my sister go out and pile up these branches that have fallen to the ground, and boy did I hate this task.

Even at 9 or 10 years old I was fully aware that this was an absolutely asinine and never ending job.

Kinda like digging a hole in the sand, it's just impossible to get ahead.

However, there is a take home lesson so pay attention.

I remember on multiple occasions usually after we had just completed a shoddy job of 'picking up sticks' my dad would come out to inspect and usually commence to give his 'talk' about trying to be the best and the fastest at whatever you do.

Well this sounds stupid to a 10 yr old being told to pick up sticks in what seemed to be a never ending sea of sticks.

But 20 some years later those lessons of trying to be the very best at whatever I have on my plate, have served me very well.

Funny thing is I am not sure if Dad intended for it to turn out this way or not.

None the less it worked.

So Thanks dad.

Hopefully that little illustration has set the stage for how being competitive serves us in our attempts for MAJOR accomplishments in health and fitness.

I have two clients that swear that 'they are not competitive' interestingly enough they are both women, in which case I do believe that their perspective has been shaped by the society we live in.

Funny thing is, one of them gives me direct feedback that she is direct competition with younger people at her job who are trying to beat her out for a desirable position.

Sure sounds like being competitive to me.

The other lady is would appear seemingly non-competitive, except for the fact she talks trash when she gets into competitive environment.

It is very intriguing to hear one type of verbal statement and then to see or hear activity that is directly counter to that statement.

I have to believe that many people have or had someone else place a glass ceiling over their head when it comes to being competitive in an activity of a physical nature.

All you really need to know is that it is OK to take out a 15lb sledge hammer and absolutely annihilate that glass ceiling.

If you don't the only thing that is will be stalled is your PROGRESS.

My final lessons in this long winded blog is:

In order to be the BEST at ANYTHING you have to be competitive, brutally competitive in fact.

and...

There is nothing wrong with being the BEST.

GO FOR IT!!



Enjoy!



Troy M Anderson



Tempe Fitness Boot Camp