How to Be a Fearless Competitor, Part 1

All of us are familiar with the pressure, tension and anxiety connected with competitive situations, and the frustrating phenomenon of choking that often results when these emotions take hold of our minds and bodies during play. Several years ago, a good friend of mine, an outstanding all-around athlete throughout his life who played a little junior college basketball, was randomly selected out of the stands to shoot a free throw during a Sacramento Kings game. What luck--a real basketball player gets to calmly sink a couple shots and win prizes! But when he stood on the line at Arco Arena in front of 17,000 people, his body became paralyzed by fear and he airballed. Another friend mentioned at a recent dinner party how her entire demeanor and technique involuntarily changed when crucial points arise during friendly tennis matches. More than once I've stood on the 16th tee at my lifelong home golf course, three pars away from the best score of my life, only to make strange swing errors for the first time all day and give back several strokes coming home.

Curiously, there are certain people who seem immune to choking, who repeatedly thrive under pressure instead of cave in. Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan would form a good podium for this award. When I asked Lance's longtime agent and former Olympic swimmer Bill Stapleton to discuss the secrets of Lance's competitive success, he offered up this insightful one-liner:

"Lance hates losing, but he's not afraid of it."

"Hates losing" conveys the killer instinct that all champions share. This personality trait is in plentiful supply even among casual competitors, judging from the behavior of corporate climbers (get ahead by any means necessary), amateur triathletes (push through fatigue, injury, a hectic life schedule and often common sense in pursuit of fitness and competitive success) and hoarse parents on the sidelines of youth soccer league games. However, a strong competitive spirit and aversion to losing do not guarantee victory and can often lead to fragile competitive nerves and attaching self-esteem to results.

The most profound character revealing insight about Lance comes from the latter half of Stapleton's comment--that he is not afraid to lose. With this mindset, an athlete is able to transcend the aforementioned fickle foes that hinder peak performance. When you are not afraid to lose (and, worth mentioning in many cases, are not afraid to win either), you gain a competitive edge for many reasons. First, you cannot be psyched out by a surprising or intimidating opponent. Instead you maintain a focus on your own approach, routine and strategy. You do not get flustered by unexpected circumstances like changes in weather, start time, playing conditions, equipment problems or other variables. Unfortunately, many competitors will completely lose their heads if things do not transpire exactly as expected.

When you do not fear losing, you are able to develop confidence in your abilities, routine and strategy regardless of competitive circumstances. For example, Tiger Woods can execute a swing on the 18th hole at the Masters identical to his shots on the practice range. Lance said that he was largely averse to feeling pressure and anxiety at the Tour de France because he was able to work so hard in preparation. "For me, knowing that I've done all the work is a magical feeling," explains Lance. "When I'm on the starting line knowing that I've worked harder than anyone else--that is a great source of strength and inspiration for me."

Achieving peak performance entails taking many risks, the severity of which correlate to the stakes of the competition. To perform at your peak, you have to somehow face these demons head on and overcome them. In Part 2 of this article I will offer you four specific tips to become a fearless, risk-taking confident competitor.