While the saying, “be your own competition,” has been bemoaned for being cliche, it remains to be a truth. It’s hard not to think about why it is so true. Being your own competition means you’re your harshest critic: no one is going to scrutinize and criticize your work like you are.
Learning how to compete with yourself instead of with other people makes you stop panicking just because someone else got something first.
When you put in the work and succeed, you’ll know that you’re getting what you deserve at the right time and place. You are in a better position to take stock of your accomplishments and use that as a springboard to become more successful. This time around, you’re not following the footsteps of other seemingly successful people.
the goal to be better than your present self
If one day you feel like giving up, remember all the reasons why you held on for so long in the first place. To be a champion, compete; to be a great champion, compete with the best; but to be the greatest champion, compete with yourself. You’re your only competition.
1. You are your own opponent. You are training for a person that did not exist yet. That person is you.
2 You can’t compete with your competition if you don’t first compete – and beat – your inner critic.
3. Don’t make the mistake of competing with others. Rather, work on being a better version of yourself. The only unfair advantage is self-improvement.
4. The biggest competition in your life should be you yourself. Try to be better than the person you were yesterday, every day, and you will be amazed at your growth. So keep growing and keep glowing.
5. When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.
6. The weak compete. The strong dominate. Do not compete with anyone else. Be your own competition.
7. Winning isn’t getting ahead of others; it is getting ahead of yourself.
8. You can only be successful in competition with yourself.
9. Never compete with others; create rather. You’re your own competition.
10. The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
11. Look in the mirror; that’s your competition.
12. You should not be in competition with anyone else but yourself. My goal is to improve myself continuously.
13. You are a masterpiece of your own life, so focus on yourself and not on what others are doing or what they think of you.
14. You should never compete with others, but only with yourself and your past achievements.
15. Concentrate on yourself to achieve success because you have no control over what others do. If you focus on them it just causes chaos.
16. If you compete with others, you may not win. If you compete with yourself, you always win by becoming better.
17. Every time I compare myself to other people, I forget how far I’ve come and how much work I’ve done in order to become who I am today. So keep going, my friend. What matters is that you are making progress every day.
18. I don’t want to compete with anyone. I hope we all make it.
19. Comparing yourself to others will only make you feel more insecure about who you are as a person.
20. The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
21. Sometimes, the only competition you have is yourself… and that’s enough.
22. It’s not about winning or losing; it’s about winning or learning.
23. Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there.
24. Don’t worry about anyone else, do your own thing because life is too short to waste time being jealous of others.
25. Be a better you so that when people look at you, they’re looking at a masterpiece.
26. You will never be able to please everyone, so it’s best to focus on pleasing yourself first!
27. Sometimes, you have to do what’s best for you and your life, not what’s best for everyone else.
28. You have to do what’s best for you regardless of how that makes others feel.
29. It takes inner strength and courage to honour your truth, especially when others don’t understand it.
30. You’re not just doing what you are doing just because you want to You are doing that because you want to be better than your former self. Keep at it. You are you, and you are doing just fine.
31. Stop comparing yourself to others because no one in the entire world can do a better job of being you than you.
32. Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.
33. Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learning.
34. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you.
35. There is only one real sin, and that is to persuade oneself that the second-best is anything but second-best.
36. I will win, not immediately, but definitely.
37. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
38. What you do today can improve all your tomorrow.
39. If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.
40. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.
41. Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
42. It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.
43. Comparison is the thief of joy.
44. Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want.
45. Don’t look at others for motivation. They are running their own race.
46. Don’t worry about competition. You will find it among those who try to do something and fail. You will find it among those who try to do nothing and succeed.
47. The world is big enough for all of us. There is room in our industry for everybody to be successful.
48. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
49. Do not compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
50. You might feel like you’re constantly falling behind, but maybe that person you’re comparing yourself to has been running for five years longer than you have.
51. I’m not in competition with anyone but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance.
52. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
53. The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
54. In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.
55. Success starts from within; be confident that you can accomplish anything.
56. The only one who can beat me is me.
57. It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.
58. You have to be your own hero.
59. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.
60. Every challenge you face today is shaping you for tomorrow. Keep going.
61. Don’t worry about those who talk behind your back. They’re behind you for a reason.
62. I’m not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance.
63. Be better than your worst self.
64. Don’t stay stuck. If a door closes, find another one or build a new door.
65. You must do the thing you think you can not do.
66. Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did.
67. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
68. There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.
69. Be your own competition. Be so good that no one can stop you.
70. Never let the competition steal your success; instead, let it show you what you have to do to make it.
71. Don’t compare yourself to others. You don’t know what their journey is all about.
72. You can’t be the best at everything, so focus on doing the best you can do and be better than everyone else who isn’t trying to reach your goals.
73. There are people out there who will always be better than you – and that’s okay! Be proud of what you have accomplished and focus on reaching your own personal goals.
74. It’s okay for other people to do better than you because we all have different goals in life.
76. If you compete with others, you become bitter, but if you compete with yourself, you become better.
77. Compete with yourself. Your biggest competition should be with who you were and what you were able to achieve yesterday.
78. Compete with yourself and not with others. Focus on the improvement and progress that matters to you. Make it a game of yourself against your personal bests and records!
79. You are your own competitor. Compete with no one but yourself because in the end, you’re going up against your best version every time.
80. I’m not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations or to fit in with the status quo.
81. You can always do better if you compete with yourself.
82. Be your own biggest inspiration, and admire your own achievements.
83. If you want to be your best, you have to beat your best.
84. The only person who can make me feel inferior is myself.
85. You are your only limit. Don’t ever sell yourself short.
86. Become your own best role model. Be the person you look up to.
87. The first rule in life is to compete with yourself to become a better version of yourself.
88. Work hard in silence and let success make the noise.
89. It’s important to be your own motivator and not compare yourself to others.
90. Sometimes, the greatest competition is yourself.
91. Your biggest tests come in your moments of success.
92. The first person you have to compete with is yourself and your past performances.
93. No one cares about your dreams as much as you do. Get over it and get on with it.
94. I am my best competition. I can only be me, but I have to beat myself.
95. You don’t have to worry as much about others stealing your ideas when you know you’re the best at executing them
96. When you are competing against yourself, it’s a race that never ends and always has a winner. So run!
97. One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be instead of being yourself.
98. You are your own priority, work toward what makes you happy, and don’t forget to love yourself!
99. Be your own sun, and you’ll shine forever.
100. Don’t criticize yourself. You are doing the best you can at this very moment.
I hope this collection of be your own competition quotes encouraged you to be competitive with yourself and make sure you push yourself harder than ever before. Comparing yourself to others is one of the quickest ways to ruin your mindset. You’ve already got everything you need to succeed right now. There’s nothing stopping you from accomplishing whatever is next on your list. All that matters is that you put in the hard work and never give up.