The Competitive Spirit

(Maybe... but not at speling spelling!)

My 10-year-old son (the devilish "Kai Blankner" scribbled at the top) planted this lovely letter in my briefcase a few days ago.  I found it while in a big meeting, making me bust out laughing and getting a few weird looks from the room.

The human spirit loves challenges.  It gives us something to work for, and that work makes us happy.  But it has to be the right amount of challenge.  Too much or too little leads to frustration or boredom.  The sweet spot in between is also known as "The Zone" or "Flow."

With a little bit of careful planning, you can create this competitive spirit in others that is constructive and fun.  You make it a game, so it isn't taken too seriously.  You let the other person win some, see the finish line, and tell them about how others have succeded with hard and smart work.  The great thing is that this also works on yourself.

When Kai tells me that he is going to beat me at something, I tell him, "I hope so! That would be cool!  But I'm not going down without a fight!"  He loves that.  That means that there's a possibility, but it will take work.  Over time, that working to win becomes a habit. 

Remember to add a little bit of humor in the mix for when it doesn't go your way.  There is always somebody better, faster, stronger, younger, older, better looking, more graceful, richer, and smarter than you out there.  Just hope they don't show up on race day.  Those other features are great, but the one statistic that is true for every winner is that they were present to win.