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Why The Best Person to Compete Against Is Yourself

Authored by Kristen Wilhelm | Wednesday, June 4, 2026

Competition may be exciting in popular sports, but it can feel overwhelming in the workplace. Many of us experience the pressure of comparing ourselves to our co-workers or feeling discouraged when someone else receives recognition for something. While a certain level of competition can drive personal growth, the most sustainable form of competition is against your previous self.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Competition

Keep in mind that competition becomes unhealthy when it creates tension or shifts your focus to outperforming others, rather than achieving shared goals. Healthy competition, on the other hand, encourages people to:

- Set personal performance goals

- Continuously develop new skills

- Learn from the achievements of others

- Focus on growth rather than comparison

Your organization can thrive when you challenge yourself to improve while still supporting the people around you.

Why Self-Competition Leads to Success

In the sports world, athletes don’t simply focus on beating their opponents. They spend countless hours working to improve their own performance or refine their techniques for better outcomes. The same principle applies in the workplace. Instead of making comparisons to your co-workers, for example, think about assessing the knowledge and skills you can develop to help perform better at your job.

Something to consider is getting into the habit of a growth mindset. A growth mindset allows you to view challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles. It shifts your focus from proving competence to developing competence.

Here are a few ways you can develop the growth mindset for healthy self-competition:

1. Set Personal Benchmarks: Track your progress using measurable goals. The SMART goal structure is a great reference for this concept. With a SMART goal, your objective is to set a goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This lets you have some metrics for what you want to accomplish and prevents you from being too vague.

2. Celebrate Incremental Wins: Major accomplishments are important, but small improvements matter too. Recognizing consistent progress helps maintain motivation and momentum.

3. Learn From Others Without Comparing Yourself: Coworkers can be valuable sources of inspiration. Instead of viewing their success as a threat, view it as an opportunity to learn new approaches and strategies.

4. Focus on Long-Term Development: Keep in mind that career growth rarely happens overnight. Professionals who commit to continuous improvement often achieve greater success than those who focus solely on short-term competition and move-ups.

5. Create a Culture of Healthy Competition: When employees approach competition with a growth mindset, everyone benefits! A workplace that values learning and personal improvement often creates stronger results than one driven entirely by comparison.

The Takeaway

While competition can be a powerful motivator, the most rewarding competition often isn’t with the people around you; it’s with the person you were yesterday. By focusing on your own growth and using others’ success as inspiration rather than a point of comparison, you can build a stronger career while maintaining positive relationships with those around you.