Complacency

Taking the easy road or settling for the simplest option can have a profound effect on your competence, motivation and success. If you put yourself in a situation where you aren’t pushed or challenged, it’s very easy to become complacent. Even if you put yourself in that situation with the best of intentions, complacency can creep in.

Every Monday night I play squash at the social night of my local club. I usually play three or four games of varied intensity against different people. Depending on the order of the intensity of my matches, I noticed a big difference in my performance. My first game this week was against a friend who is below my skill level. In the interests of enjoying a game, I would place shots to keep rallies going, rather than to close out points quickly. I did this because it was important to me that we both enjoyed the game and that he could develop his skills. In  my second game I played another friend who is matched closely to my level. While normally we’d have a  close game, this time he could beat me quite convincingly. From my previous experience, I know that I have the skill and ability to play much better, however, my mindset from my first game was affecting my performance. In my first game, I was playing slower and easier, with far less intensity. The game I played required little urgency and I often wasn’t stretched to use all my ability. When I moved to my second game, that mindset blocked my ability to perform to the level I needed. Even while playing I knew the problem was my mindset, I told myself between points that I needed to reset my focus, but I wasn’t able to.

From just 20 minutes of squash against an opponent at a lower skill level, installed a mindset of complacency which carried into a more difficult match. It wasn’t until my third game that I realised that it was possible to break that mindset.

In my third game, playing a  more experienced squash player, I ended splitting the sets evenly, coming from behind several times to keep myself in the game. Entering that environment, with a bar set high, challenging me, I was able to break my mindset of complacency and play to the edge of my ability. The only difference was my environment.

There are perfectly valid reason for not constantly being in such challenging environments. However, if you spend too long not being stretched, it’s easy to become complacent and for this complacency to seep into other aspects of your life. If you’re struggling with a situation, the solution might be to challenge yourself, even if it’s in another area of your life. Setting the bar higher is not easy, but it may be the answer.