Successfully winning against yourself takes a lot, but it can be very rewarding. Winning against yourself is all about overcoming self-doubt, building self-discipline, and developing strategies to overcome internal challenges. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself, by building better habits, and gradually removing characteristics that can hinder your progress. To win against yourself takes courage, discipline, and the ability to continually show up for yourself. Aiming to win against yourself isn’t some toxic goal but the best goal. You’re your best competitor, striving to always be better than you were yesterday—that’s what it’s all about.
10 best ways to win against yourself
1 . Set achievable goals
Most people have a goal/s, you probably do too. So, to win against yourself is to set clear, and achievable goals by breaking down big objectives into smaller, manageable tasks, and create a plan with specific steps to achieve those goals. This will help you set the tone, and have a more directive pathway.
2 . Identify your strengths
It can be very helpful to outline the things you know you’re good at, everyone is good at something, so you have to find out what yours is. If possible, ask your friends, family, or colleagues what they think you’re good at. This will help remind you of your capabilities, by helping you focus on your strengths and not weaknesses.
Mind you, this doesn’t mean that you become oblivious to the truth about your weaknesses, but it helps you project your energy into something more positive. Sitting around dwelling about what you lack, isn’t going to help you win against yourself, it’ll only make you weaker. So, therefore, becoming aware of the things that make you a badass makes the journey a little bit easier.
3 . Practice self-reflection
Regularly practicing self-reflection is a must to win against yourself. The fact is, it’s one of the top ways to win against yourself. When you self-reflect a lot, it’ll be evident in your actions, thoughts, and life in general. Self-reflection is taking time to think about your thoughts, feelings, and actions daily. It’s a way of being mindful of how you live your life, and how you treat others around you. Additionally, it’s a way of understanding your values, motivations, and emotions.
Questions such as “What did I benefit” or “What would I do differently” or “What did I learn” can be very helpful. It’s a way of learning about yourself and understanding why you react in certain ways and to certain things. What’s more, it can help build your confidence when you self-reflect regularly, as you start to become more in tune with yourself.
4 . Be mindful of negative thoughts
If you want to win against yourself, you need to learn how to challenge negative thoughts. Because they will creep in, especially in your journey of winning the battle against yourself. However, if you are mindful, you will notice when you’re thinking negatively. And when this happens, replace them with positive, and encouraging thoughts. When you learn to reduce negative thoughts, you treat yourself with kindness. Therefore, you become kinder to yourself, which is a great thing to do during this journey.
However, there are times when your mind will try to make you realistic, which might come off as negative thoughts. It’s important to pay attention to both to know how to differentiate between the two. Sometimes the reality of something isn’t what you would like, but it doesn’t always mean you’re having negative thoughts. Believing that things can work out is just as important as believing that things may not. That’s where reality comes into play, but to handle reality is also about handling the negative thoughts you may have about it.
5 . Focus on progress
As mentioned earlier, to win against yourself is to focus on progress and not perfection. Celebrate small wins, and learn from your setbacks, it’s all a part of the process. There will be times when you can’t give it your 100, but your 60 is still a great effort. Even if a time comes when you can’t give anything, know that you can pick yourself up and show up better. The journey to winning against yourself can be non-linear, and that’s okay. There will be obstacles, but what matters is that you don’t focus on perfection, but on improvement. Appreciate how far you’ve come, and most importantly, learn from mistakes.
6 . Win against yourself by practicing gratitude
We really can’t over-emphasize the value of gratitude, it’s one of the best things we can do. However, many people forget how important gratitude is. Reflect daily on blessings and positive experiences, and write down 3 or more things you’re grateful for each day. Share gratitude with others, and focus on the good things in life.
You know the things you don’t really pay attention to, but you are capable of doing, that’s a great way to practice gratitude. Practicing gratitude is a very powerful and effective way to win against yourself.
7 . Win against yourself by taking care of your physical health
Millions of people around the world struggle to improve their physical health. Diseases like diabetes, heart attacks, or stroke are the leading causes of death in many countries worldwide. However, taking care of yourself greatly reduces your risk of developing these chronic diseases. Exercising regularly, eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, walk more, are great ways of keeping yourself healthy and strong. Exercise can help with stress, depression, and anxiety. Healthy eating can help with weight loss, weight management, clear skin, and the functioning of your organs.
If you’re new to health and fitness, start small by checking out our 10 minutes workout for busy people, and our tips on healthy eating.
8 . Do one thing that scares you every day
You’ve probably heard this before, but it is a great strategy. The reason most people can’t win against themselves is because they prefer comfort over confrontation. If you can get out of your shell, by doing one thing that scares you every day, you’re going to become stronger. Be honest with yourself and write down the things that scare you, that you’re afraid to do. And set up to do one of them every day, and you’d be surprised at how much progress you will make. Sometimes it’s the things we’re scared of doing that keep us from reaching our full potential or getting opportunities.
9 . Win against yourself by developing coping skills
It’s very important to learn how to cope, and most importantly healthy ways of coping. Learn how to handle stress, criticism, and failure, so that you don’t fall so short. Good coping skills are, deep breathing exercises, meditation, morning or evening walks, self-affirmation, and support from friends, family, or professionals. There will be hard times, so you must learn how to make it through.
10 . Have faith in yourself
It’s not easy to believe in yourself, especially when the odds aren’t in your favor. However, have faith nonetheless, believe that you will win, and prevail over the limitations you’ve created. Having faith will take you far beyond your expectations, it will help you stay strong even when things aren’t looking up. Or when you aren’t seeing or getting the results you want, regardless of what it may be, have faith in yourself.
More tips to win against yourself
- Learn to receive and give constructive feedback
- Learn from others mistakes (including yours)
- You have to see yourself winning before you win (see it then be it)
- Focus on the present, not past mistakes or future worries
- Don’t forget to enjoy the process and not choose pressure
What are the benefits when you win against yourself
Winning against yourself brings a ton of benefits, including:
- More confidence Improved mental clarity and focus
- A greater sense of purpose and direction
- A sense of satisfaction
- Increased resilience and stress management
- Reduced self-doubt and anxiety
- More creativity and resources
- You become more disciplined and able to be accountable
- Better decision-making skills and problem-solving skills
- You develop self-awareness and introspection
- Greater sense of responsibility
- Your relationship with family and friends improves
- Create healthier boundaries
- You can communicate better
- Improved physical health and well-being
- Better sleep quality
- More energy and vitality
- You become more attractive
- Improved mental and physical health
- Stronger sense of resilience and adaptability
- You’re able to pursue more things in life
Message from Medspurs
To win against yourself is a constant journey because in life you keep evolving, and growing. So, make sure you make the best of each phase of your life!
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