4 Benefits of Being Competitive

Competition is part of human nature. According to Darwin’s theory on the mechanism of evolution, competition among individuals becomes more intense within the same species. Research shows that children begin to compare themselves to others as young as four and five, which is when they start to develop the urge to compete. 

There are opportunities to compete with others everywhere, whether in education, sports, or work. Like most things, being competitive has its pros and cons, but we’re here to focus on the positives! You can use the power of competition to your advantage. Here are four benefits of being competitive:

Ignites creativity

Staying ahead of your competition can be difficult. Whether you are being competitive in the workplace or you are entering some sort of competition, many challenges will arise that do not have obvious solutions. This will require you to think outside the box and be creative to overcome these obstacles. The good news is that creativity is limitless and the more creative you become, the more leverage you will have over your fellow competitors.

Sparks motivation

People would likely become complacent and settle for being average without competition. If you're competitive, you can accept and be happy with your accomplishments while being driven to keep improving. Being competitive can not only spark your motivation, but it can spark motivation for those who are competing against you! Additionally, failure to rise above your competitors can serve as motivation to persevere through tough times. 

Teaches you to take risks

Once you recognize that competition isn’t so scary, you can learn to take more risks. Being competitive may be uncomfortable at first, but once you get started, you will develop the confidence to continue to do things outside of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! The biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk at all.

It’s a learning experience

It’s important to never stop improving in life, and being competitive can drive you to become the best version of yourself. Having a competitive mindset can help highlight your strengths and weaknesses, which can provide a roadmap for areas you could improve in. And, when you know your strengths, you can use them to the best of your advantage. On the contrary, when you fail to win a competition, you can learn from your mistakes. Win or lose, you will always learn something valuable through competition that can propel you forward in life.