My son was having trouble getting his math assignments finished in a timely manner. Although he was good at math, he didn't like doing the work. So I decided to add a little competition to the task. I said, "I'll do the assignment, too, and we'll race to see who can finish first."
That challenge was just enough to get him motivated. Sometimes we raced each other; other times we set a stopwatch to see how long we each took. Deductions were made for incorrect answers since accuracy was always of highest importance. Eventually, it was no longer necessary for me to participate because our competition had motivated him to complete his assignments quickly and accurately.
Little did I realize that harnessing his competitive energy was preparing him for future math competitions. He had learned to focus on improving his personal best, rather than trying to defeat others. This enabled him to become a great team member, encouraging others to pursue excellence and victory.
This article appeared in the October/November 2011 issue of Thriving Family
magazine and was titled "Motivated by Competition." Copyright © 2011 by Carolyn Stonehocker. Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.