How do you define winning? Typically, we think of winning as being victorious over another person, about being

#1, the best of the best, a world champion.

I want to encourage you to rethink what it means to win. Here鈥檚 why:

I鈥檝e accepted that regardless of how hard I train or how often I practice, I will never be the best Roger in tennis! No matter what, he will be superior to me on the tennis court, and I have a better chance of surviving the Hunger Games than beating Roger Federer.

Granted, very few of us can compete with the great Federer, but we can compete with ourselves to be better today than we were yesterday.

You can鈥檛 control another person鈥檚 excellence, but you can control yours.

Consider this: Winning is not just about beating your opponent or finishing first in a race, but if only one person can achieve the ultimate victory, how can you also be a winner?

Ironically, the best way to win is by consistently beating yourself. When your entire focus is on what others are doing, you won鈥檛 be doing everything you can to become your best self.

You win by beating your anxieties, limitations, and self-doubt. It鈥檚 about beating self-imposed obstacles and rising above your current level of performance. Your self-confidence is increased when you consistently better your best. The more you improve, the more you trust yourself and the more you realize what you are truly capable of.

External wins begin with internal wins.

By looking at winning from this perspective, you can finish second and still have a huge win. In the same respect, someone might be victorious but still lose if they don鈥檛 realize their full potential.

Think about it, if winning is about beating yourself, it isn鈥檛 necessary to have an opponent. The only real competition is you. Instead of comparing yourself to and competing with someone else, look at where you want to be in the future. What will it take to get there? Establish your own values and metrics.

I wish you many wins in 2018; start by beating yourself!