The Good and Bad of Competition
- The Good and Bad of Competition Deborah Johnson, M.A. 23:19
Competition pushes you. My piano instructor, Joanna, had me competing often because it would help me complete goals. This is a great benefit of competition. Michael Phelps uses competition to push him. He competes more with himself than anyone else. He says” If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do.” If you’re just the same…it’s a dead end. Phelps also said: “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” He also has a selected listening list. It’s important to watch your intake!
After working for years with band members, you’re only as good as your worst member. This creates a bit of competition, especially when doing solos! The bad part about competition is when comparison plays mind games with you. You can’t ever live up to…(fill in the blank) I find myself competing with others creating a “straw person” I can never live up to.This comes down to a mindset. It’s good to see what others are doing, but stay in your lane. You can’t serve everyone and we tend to want to do that.
Walkaways: 1. Realize the value of competition-let it push you to complete goals. 2. Importance of good goals and motivation–set them! 3. Creat good positive intake—even down to your music. 4. Recognize the mind games of never living up to a“straw person” 5. Stay in your lane.