One thing that separates human beings from other creatures is that we constantly strive to do things better. We evaluate our performance on a host of issues, from how we performed at our 6th grade piano recital, to how well our new pumpkin pie recipe turned out, to how we did on that last big project at work.

Deep down, we’re all just a little competitive, though it shows up more in some people than others. I’ve even known people who were competitive about not being competitive (“I’m less competitive than her … trust me”).

Though getting better at anything is really a simple process, it may not be easy. Even though the basic principles for improving performance are the same, getting better at typing is quite different than getting better at ski-jumping, and getting better at living under a budget ^[2] is quite different than getting better at riding a motorcycle.

1. Chase your passion. If you absolutely LOVE something, practice is a joy. Passion ^[3] can be an incredible motivator. It boosts our focus, strengthens our resilience, and fuels our perseverance. Make sure you know what YOUR passion ^[3] really is.