There's always a point where young players are simply really enjoying the game and then comes another point in time where they think that they want to get even better. That moment is an eye-opening one because that's where you start getting interested in competitive gaming. That's what going to change the mindset from: "I'm just playing to have fun" to "There's now a purpose behind how and why I play". As I went through those phases myself, let's discuss about some keys to competitive gaming that I discovered in my journey.
I'll preface this by saying that really there are no 'keys' per se, there's not a single thing that anyone can do that will guarantee a certain outcome. Consistent practice is the closest you'll get to that. But even then, that doesn't even guarantee you success or even a successful outcome, all it guarantees you is improvement. What matters even more than consistent practice is the quality of the practice, or in other words, the 'how'. So, one of the things that will influence the 'how' you practice and is, in my opinion, a key to success in competitive gaming is Remember why you love the game and why you started in the first place. It's far too easy to get caught up in the motion of playing for competition and money and forget the love that we have for the game when we first got started. That is going to be a big factor and a big motivator when things get hard.
That leads us to the second big key which is patience and perseverance. Everyone would love to be the best in the world. Unfortunately, that comes with a lot of sacrifices and patience that not everyone is ready to make or to have. It WILL take time before you become really good and before you see some progress but you have to trust the process and you have to keep pushing no matter what. Some weeks will feel like you took 3 steps back and you start losing to people you've never lost to before, but you have to take the L and keep your head up and keep practicing!
Which brings me to our last and final key to success in competitive gaming: Never think you're too good to learn any lessons. This is a hard one to learn I admit. As you get better, it's hard to think that you can still learn lessons from the noob who just started couple months ago, but the reality is, people that are just getting started, they're starting with way more resources and people around them than you, therefore are more knowledgeable and will inevitably learn things faster than you did. When that happens, don't be bitter and reluctant to learn from them because you think you've passed their levels, instead be open and enthusiastic that there are opportunities for you to learn more and get better! It's a great way to humble yourself as well, so why not right!
There are obviously many more things that you can do to improve as a competitive gamer but would you agree that these are the foundations to any good competitor?
I'll preface this by saying that really there are no 'keys' per se, there's not a single thing that anyone can do that will guarantee a certain outcome. Consistent practice is the closest you'll get to that. But even then, that doesn't even guarantee you success or even a successful outcome, all it guarantees you is improvement. What matters even more than consistent practice is the quality of the practice, or in other words, the 'how'. So, one of the things that will influence the 'how' you practice and is, in my opinion, a key to success in competitive gaming is Remember why you love the game and why you started in the first place. It's far too easy to get caught up in the motion of playing for competition and money and forget the love that we have for the game when we first got started. That is going to be a big factor and a big motivator when things get hard.
That leads us to the second big key which is patience and perseverance. Everyone would love to be the best in the world. Unfortunately, that comes with a lot of sacrifices and patience that not everyone is ready to make or to have. It WILL take time before you become really good and before you see some progress but you have to trust the process and you have to keep pushing no matter what. Some weeks will feel like you took 3 steps back and you start losing to people you've never lost to before, but you have to take the L and keep your head up and keep practicing!
Which brings me to our last and final key to success in competitive gaming: Never think you're too good to learn any lessons. This is a hard one to learn I admit. As you get better, it's hard to think that you can still learn lessons from the noob who just started couple months ago, but the reality is, people that are just getting started, they're starting with way more resources and people around them than you, therefore are more knowledgeable and will inevitably learn things faster than you did. When that happens, don't be bitter and reluctant to learn from them because you think you've passed their levels, instead be open and enthusiastic that there are opportunities for you to learn more and get better! It's a great way to humble yourself as well, so why not right!
There are obviously many more things that you can do to improve as a competitive gamer but would you agree that these are the foundations to any good competitor?