Growing up, when we’d have limited numbers of players for baseball, we’d put a “ghostie” on base to act as a runner.

That same mentality can be used when we are trying to push ourselves harder and farther than we ever have before. We are competing against ourselves. Against a person who we know really well. We know their weaknesses, their shortcomings, their fears.

We can visualize that “ghostie” just ahead of us. Pacing us in the race. Giving us the added motivation to kick it into another gear.

Sometimes the only motivation we need is the competition we conjure up in our heads.

When we are focusing on our projects needing to be completed and procrastination and distractions ensue, there might not be a better competitor on the planet to kick us into another gear than ourselves.

That motivation might be the difference between lagging behind our insecurities, fears, and self-doubts or pushing ourselves forward further than we ever thought possible.