Are you the strongest athlete? Fastest? Or if you are a non-athlete, are you the smartest employee at work? The most skilled? Chances are, whether you are an athlete or everyday person, you are not the strongest, fastest, or smartest or most skilled — but that’s OK! When we “win on the margins” in life, it can make up for natural advantages others have on us, and actually lead to new opportunities for victories and success. So what exactly does it mean to “win on the margins?” Lets dig in and find out.
Winning on the margins…
When I talk to athletes and look for ways to maximize abilities, we look for ways to beat the competition. Occasionally an athlete’s natural strengths are good enough, but more times than not the athlete has to find unique approaches to make up for differences. Specific targets we discuss are attitude, effort, and a willingness to do what others won’t do. You might not be the strongest or fastest, but how do you condition your mind to play through pain and discomfort? To quickly bounce back from adversity? Or to out-endurance the competition?
Outside of sports, the rest of us can also benefit from winning on the margins in similar ways. Attitude and effort still count, as do all the “little things” like being early to work and prepared, keeping up with job responsibilities and going above and beyond, and adding important education and related experiences to your resume to stay ahead of the competition. Additional “margin” ideas including networking, attending conferences, and offering genuine appreciation toward others who have helped you along the way. If you want to emerge from the competition, you must do things different than the competition — in sports and in life.
As you can see, “winning on the margins” highlights two key ideas: first, that success is often shaped by seemingly small factors—such as showing up with the right mindset and preparation—and second, that we all have room to grow in these areas, which can give us a meaningful edge over the competition. This is important, inspiring news — especially for people who tend to fall down the trap of self-doom by assuming that they can never make up for differences in natural abilities possessed by the competition.
Do a self-audit and see how you stack up. Are you doing the little things? The things that others won’t do? Future growth and success is dependent on the efforts that we make, and often the difference between individuals simply has to do with who wants it more?
Final thoughts
Statistics and expectations can only go so far when it comes to predicting outcomes, and individuals (in sports and life) who take care of all the little things are often surprised when they witness firsthand just how much those efforts matter. Outworking and outsmarting the competition can go a long way toward success, and individuals who pay attention to small details can attest to the importance of things like attitude, effort, and a commitment toward success. In life, it’s easy to come up with all the reasons why you can’t, but if you are interested in learning how you can, then be sure to win on the margins in life.
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