One of the most common challenges people face is finding the motivation to keep working on their craft, hone their skills, and persevere through any dull phases that may appear. No matter how much you want to succeed, it is a challenge to push yourself internally. Some people plateau after a while, some lose their edge or freshness, and others get bored. It happens more often than you may think. Sooner or later, we all need an external force to help keep the drive alive.
Often, this external force can be found in the form of a competitor. I believe all of us should strive to be the best in whatever we do. The journey to the top is easier because there is always something to look forward to as the next challenge. Rising to meet the next challenge can be enough motivation to keep you working. When you reach the top of your field, you need a whole other kind of motivation to stay there. This is when you need someone to push you.
LeBron James happens to be one of the best basketball players in the world. Arguably, he is an anomaly of what a typical player can do on the court. Kevin Durant is better than him or a close second, depending on who you ask. Almost everyone agrees that these two gentlemen are currently the two best players in the world.
LeBron has been touted as the best for over a decade now. He maintains that position by working harder and smarter than anyone else in the league. He can do so because he understands that you won’t always be the top dog. Sooner or later, someone will rise to challenge him and claim his spot at the top. In a 2012 interview with Sports Illustrated, he stated that someone is Kevin Durant, who feels the same way about LeBron James.
Fast forward to 2021, and these two have faced off for the title numerous times. LeBron has four titles, while KD has 2. Between them, their list of accolades and accomplishments is simply tremendous. They know they will inevitably face each other in the quest for a championship.
The key to staying at the top of your field is having the humility to understand that you are not invincible. No matter how strong or smart you may be, someone better will come along. You need to keep preparing for the day that happens so you can rise and meet the challenge. If you find someone who stokes your competitive fire, you may find the motivation to work to maintain your position at the top.
The notion of rivalries motivating and inspiring greater effort is limited to people. This is just as applicable to businesses, groups, and teams. Rivalries in sports have defined eras and found their place in the history of that sport. An example would be the rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics in the NBA in the 1980s.
Sometimes, a professional rival is the best thing that can happen to you. A rivalry like this will help you unlock your hidden potential, be more creative and channel your inner genius. The kind of rivalry based on mutual respect and understanding can be memorable. People meant for greatness don’t fear competition; they embrace it. To them, another person who performs at the same level as them is welcome news.
Imagine that you are alone in a place where no one understands you. Then you find someone similar to you who operates at the same level as you with equal skill and expertise. Someone who shares your passion and is just as competitive as you. They share your motivation and have the same goal as you. Finding such a person will challenge you and motivate you to raise your game. They can inspire you to improve the mastery of your craft. That’s the effect competitors can have on each other.
Another example that comes to mind is from the 2013 movie “Rush.” One of my favorite movies and one that I have re-watched numerous times. The movie is based on the rivalry between F1 legend Niki Lauda and James Hunt during the 1976 Grand Prix season. (SPOILER ALERT!… Though I don’t know why you wouldn’t have seen this movie by now!) In the final scene of the film, Hunt and Lauda meet three months after the end of the 1976 season, and during their conversation, Lauda says this:
In the hospital the toughest part of my treatment was the vacuum. Pumping the shit out of my lungs. It was agony. While doing it, I was watching television…you winning all those races…and I was cursing you.. “That bastard, Hunt”, I would shout, “I hate that guy.” One day the doctor said, “Mr. Lauda, may I offer one piece of advice? Stop thinking of it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing, too.” I said, “Who are you, Confucius?” He said, “A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.” And you know, he’s right. Look at us. We were a pair of kids when we first met. Hotheaded jerks in Formula 3. Headed nowhere. Now we’re both Champions of the world. Not bad. So don’t let me down now. I need you busting my balls. Get back to work.
In the movie’s epilogue, we hear a monologue from Lauda’s character, clearly showing a tremendous amount of mutual respect in an otherwise public enmity. The monologue goes:
For James, one world title was enough. He had proved what he needed to prove, to himself and anyone who doubted him. And two years later he retired. When I saw him next in London seven years later, me as champion again, him as a broadcaster. He was barefoot on a bicycle with a flat tyre. Still living each day like his last. When I heard he’d died, aged 45, of a heart attack, I wasn’t surprised. I was just sad. People always think of us as rivals, but he was among the very few I liked, and even fewer that I respected. He remains the only person I envied.
There is enough material that says that to achieve success, you should try everything that can help you gain an advantage and improve your performance. Put yourself in LeBron’s shoes and ask yourself, “Who’s my Kevin Durant?” (If you are a KD fan, look for your LeBron, it works either way!) A rival who constantly challenges you may be what you need to give you an edge.