Even solo athletes train in teams. Why? Because together, they don’t just get better—they become unstoppable.
Swimmers push each other’s limits. Runners pace one another to break records. Tennis players drill with partners who expose their blind spots.
Yet we’re told growth is a solo sport. When in reality: doing it alone keeps us small.
And professionally? The cost of doing it alone isn’t just loneliness, but stagnation. Imagine the selves you could’ve been. The work you could’ve made. The life you could’ve lived— all left on the table because you trusted your fear more than your friends.
Your inner critic is a liar. Your friends, the people with professional competence and personal affection for you, they’re the mirror that shows you what’s possible.
I spent years painting as a creative stress relief, never considering I was ‘good enough’ to exhibit. Then I borrowed my friends’ confidence, exhibited my art, and realized: The bravest thing I ever did was admit I couldn’t see myself clearly.
So ask yourself:
- Who’s in your ‘team’—even if your sport is solo?
- What’s one thing you’d dare to do if you treated their belief in you like data?
- And what’s the price of playing it safe?
The myth of the lone genius is just that — a myth. This is even true in the sciences. Over 70% of all modern times Nobel Prizes went to teams and collaborations. And it is hard to become excellent if you don’t like the people you’re working with.
