In an interview, the founder of Unitree Robotics was asked whether the company would adjust its strategy now that more competitors are entering the market. His response was simple yet profound:
“Our direction is straightforward. Our main competitor is still ourselves. As long as we do better every day, every month, and every year than we did in the past, our peers won’t be able to catch up.”
From the perspective of personal growth, this philosophy means treating your past self as the true opponent, and striving to surpass who you were yesterday.
Most people tend to equate growth with defeating others. But by shifting the focus to focusing on daily, monthly, and yearly comparisons with former self, which can help avoid meaningless competition and Instead concentrate on unlocking inner potential.
Consider the power of compounding in an ideal scenario: improving by just 1% daily leads to a 37-fold growth over a year (1.01^365 ≈ 37.78). This compounding effect of consistent progress is far more sustainable than short-term competition with others and creates a unique, inimitable advantage.
Building a Clear Personal Vision
A vision reflects your deepest aspirations, which is the state you truly aspire to, while goals are the actionable steps to achieve it. Rather than focusing on “what to escape,” concentrate on “who you want to become.” The gap between current reality and aspiration turns into motivation. It pushes you to learn and grow proactively. This gap may bring anxiety, but the key is to avoid being overwhelmed by emotions and instead focus on actionable steps to bridge it—one small step at a time.
Cultivating Patience and Resilience
Embrace temporary setbacks as signals of the gap between your vision and reality, not as endpoints, as part of the journey. Failures offer insights into areas for improvement, allowing you to refine your strategy and keep moving forward. Long-term thinking is essential. True self-transcendence requires persistence and accumulation over time. Breakthroughs are the result of consistent effort and endurance, rarely happen overnight.
Practice Regular Reflection and Iteration
Periodically reflect on your progress by comparing your current self to your past self. This helps identify areas for improvement and refine your direction. As you grow, dynamically adjust your vision to align with your evolving capabilities and aspirations.
Practical Steps: Crafting a “Self-Transcendence Plan”
- Daily: Record one small win.
- Monthly: Set a specific personal challenge.
- Yearly: Review major milestones.
- Learn from Role Models, Not Rivals: Study individuals who embody self-transcendence to adopt their methods, not to compare achievements.
- Build a Supportive Environment: Join growth-oriented communities or connect with like-minded individuals to inspire and reinforce your commitment to “racing against yourself.”
Conclusion
Shifting the focus of growth from external competition to internal evolution is transformative. By clarifying your vision, leveraging creative tension, cultivating patience, and practicing regular reflection, you can continually break through your own limits.
While others fixate on outpacing competitors, those who prioritize self-transcendence build an unassailable and unshakable “moat of growth” through relentless improvement.
In the ultimate state of alignment, the gap between vision and action becomes imperceptible—a seamless unity of aspiration and reality.