You can learn a lot by losing.
It’s not that we aspire to lose – obviously.
However, in general, when you don’t perform well, you learn much more than when you excel easily.
As you may know, before I did martial arts, I competed in cycling and triathlons for more than a decade. At one point, I finished 5th in the U.S. National Biathlon Championships (now called Duathlon), finished in the top 1/3 at the Ironman, and was ranked in the U.S. Cycling Federation. I even competed against Lance Armstrong in 1991.
Wow, that was a trip down memory lane!
However, what you don’t know is that in my very first cycling race… I finished last. Dead last. In a downpour. It was ugly.
Before my first race (age 15), I thought I was pretty good at cycling. I had a 3 year base of strength training, and I trained on my bike for a year nearly every day.
However, I made one huge mistake.
I most often trained alone, and I never tested myself against people who were better than me.
I had no point of reference.
Just because I had improved a lot since I started cycling, didn’t mean I was anywhere close to the skill of the guys who would later slaughter me in my first race. Yes, I know we’re told not to compare ourselves to others. Often that is true. However, you also need a reality check and a gauge to know how you are doing sometimes.
I found the same thing is true for business.
We are all unique and comparing isn’t always good. However, being around people who demand a lot for their lives (quality of life, fun, health, success, improved sales, free time, and enriching experiences) does rub off on you. You need a support group who will be honest with you.
This is a good thing.
You don’t want to come in last place in life (even if you are not technically comparing yourself to others).
Use some type of point of reference to know you are making progress and you are not kidding yourself about how you are doing.
Surround yourself with people who are loving, supportive and are willing to share knowledge, experiences, and resources to help you improve.
Now, go out there and experience life.
Thanks for reading.
JSE
https://johnspencerellis.com
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