SEPTEMBER 2019 52 SHAPE.COM
Keep your focus laser sharp
Competition is most powerful when you have a specific goal, like
a race or a presentation. “Feeling competitive is great for building
the initial motivation you need to prep and train, but it won’t sus-
tain your drive forever,” DiMenichi says. If an event is too far in the
future, you’ll exhaust yourself if you try to be competitive all the
time, resulting in burnout. Instead, break up the time into shorter
cycles: If you want a promotion but won’t be eligible for another year
or more, focus on intermediary steps like nailing your six-month
performance review or meeting your monthly deadlines or quotas.
But know yourself and your tolerance for competition, Merryman
says. Some people thrive off being competitive in every area of their
lives, while others find too much overwhelming. “Competition
should be used to bring out your best,” she says. “If you feel it’s affect-
ing you negatively rather than motivating you, making you produc-
tive, or helping you have fun, it’s fine to step back or use it a little less.”Fight fair
Whenever possible, line yourself up
to compete with rivals whose skills
are just a little better or worse than
your own. If they’re slight ly better,
you’ll feel inspired to try to keep up;
if they’re a tad worse, you’ll be com-
pelled to push forward to keep that
gap, Merryman says.
With this technique, even losing
a competition can be motivating,
she adds. “When researchers looked
at the physiological responses to winning and losing, they discov-
ered that people who almost won got a spike of testosterone, a hor-
mone closely tied to motivation. It’s that sense of ‘I almost had it—I
want a rematch!’” Merryman says. When you’re totally outclassed,
though, testosterone drops, leaving you feeling disheartened.
Pitting yourself against just one or two competitors is most
effective, DiMenichi adds. In a study in the journal Psychological
Science, students were told that if they scored in the top 20 percent
in a short quiz, they would get $5. Those who thought they were com-
peting against 10 other students performed better than those who
thought they were up against 100. That’s because too big a pool is
discouraging—we assume there are plenty of people who can out-
perform us. Focusing on fewer competitors gives us more hope.Measure your growth
There are two goals of competition. There’s the surface goal, of
course, which is to win. But there’s a secondary goal—to improve
your performance. “For some people, that’s the entire reason they
compete,” DiMenichi says. “They know that going toe to toe against
a rival makes them work harder and betters their skills.” Even if you
find the prospect of winning more exciting than the idea of per-
sonal growth, factoring in the improvement in your results can add
another layer of motivation the next time you compete.A tasty treat you’ll feel good
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