The [Dis]Illusion of Your Competition

By September 30, 2014Uncategorised, Uncategorized

I’ve been reading Steve Redgrave’s “Enduring Success”

What does it take to be the best for 16 years in a row,  an entire career, and 5 Olympics?

What could I learn from that?

Well, the answer is not what you think

According to Steve, it was not about being ‘the best’

It was not about being the fittest or strongest

Certainly not in the last of his Olympics

The other rowers were fitter, stronger, and faster on the Ergo [rowing machine]

On strength, fitness and ‘talent,’ others should have won…

But they didn’t have one elusive thing that Steve has better than everyone else

Want to know what it was?

His reputation to his competition

The [Dis]Illusion others had about him, built in their own minds and fears

In his last Olympics, Steve openly admits his body was shot to pieces: weaker and slower than other rowers

BUT…

*They we’re scared of him

*They were scared of what he’d done before

*They were scared of his ‘Reputation’

And that is what defeated his competition, and handed an unlikely, and unprecedented 5th Olympic Gold in his 5th and final Olympics

So here’s the question:

“Where in your [insert business here] are you letting the reputation of your competition defeat you?”

Wherever it is, it’s a illusion. It is not real

Don’t let what isn’t real defeat you before you start my friend

Build your own competition-[self]defeating reputation and let them hand you results/victories because THEY are scared of YOUR reputation

Get out there. Believe. Do it now. Never look back

You’re already great

Maybe you just forget that sometimes and need someone to believe in you

I believe in you

Questions, comments, rants and arguments welcomed below…

 

 

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