Be the Underdog

Many of us, in our own way, grapple with the weight of expectations — either the expectations we perceive from others or those that we impose on ourselves.

The burden of being consistently great, consistently excellent, consistently on, is one that can (and often does) eventually knock down the most elite performers in any field — not just athletes.

On the flip side, the fear of not being great out of the gate can cause us to hold back from trying new things in the first place.

When you spend your life chasing achievements, each new venture can become more intimidating as the pressure mounts to excel.

Most of the time, that pressure comes from within. It can be hard to shake the standard of excellence, especially after a lifetime of pursuing it.

But doing so can offer freedom.

An established player is defensive, trying to protect their system, their legacy and their approach. They play tense, fearing any misstep that could cause them to lose all they have worked to build.

The most dangerous opponent is the underdog who has nothing to lose. That player is more likely to innovate and experiment. They may not win, but even if they lose they come out ahead because they aren’t weighed down by expectations.

You can play like that even if you have years of experience and achievements. All you need to do is release the expectations.