One of the defining features of CrossFit is the leaderboard: a public space where athletes post their weights and workout times for everyone to see. The leaderboard shows you where you stand relative to other members in your gym.
This is actually a part of CrossFit that I really like. Competition is a motivator for me. I like games, and I like to win.
Many people don’t like this approach. They view competition as a negative, a way to pit people against each other instead of bringing them together.
Somewhere in my personal development journey, I was told that being competitive isn’t “feminine,” and not in the spirit of community.
This opinion is rooted in a misunderstanding of what competition actually is. The root of the word competition is com — the same root as the word community.
Competition doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game where one person wins at the expense of another. The literal meaning of the word means “to seek together.”
Competition can push us to bring our best, to find that hidden reserve we might not find otherwise.
This is especially true when others have a stake in our outcome.
Personally, I find that I push myself harder when others have a stake in the outcome; when I’m not doing something just for myself.
When we compete with each other instead of against each other, we are embracing the true meaning of competition.
Competition itself isn’t bad. It’s all about how you set it up.
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