I recently saw an interview with an Olympic champion who said that he appreciates his rivals, especially the unfriendly rivals, because they fire him up and make him perform better. I have often wondered how these athletes find the inward motivation to spend months and years getting fit and polished for a two-week competition. I suppose one of the motivating factors is the tough opposition.
Competition is motivating. I remember a few years ago joining a weightloss competition with a few friends. I was very motivated to say no to the temptations, especially when they were around! I trash-talked my way through the competition. The more I boasted that I was going to win, the more fueled I became to do just that. In the end, I didn’t win. In fact I came in 2nd place. But actually, I really did win because I lost 26 pounds in the process. I also had fun with an endeavor that is a lot of hard work.
When there is rivalry involved, I do get motivated. It helps to be surrounded by successful people because their competitive edge usually ignites my competitive edge. When I’m at the gym, if I am working out next to a physical powerhouse, I’m going to get a much better workout than if someone next to me is going at it half-heartedly and reading a book or something.
Social workouts, like aerobics classes, yoga, and jazzercise are great examples of invigorating workouts that feed energy from one person to another. The classes are also a load of fun. (As long as I don’t trip on my two feet, of course!) John Donne once said that no man is an island. I think that profound statement is certainly true for healthy people. We need one another!
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