--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be successful in anything, a person…" description: "\"To be successful in anything, a person must always want to be better, not only than your opponent but better than your last performance. Done correctly..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png" --- # To be successful in anything, a person must always want to… ![“To be successful in anything, a person must always want to be better, not only than your opponent but better than your last performance. Done correctly, being competitive is a wonderful way to always try to be a better person by learning from your mistakes and capitalizing on your successes.” quote by Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png) > “To be successful in anything, a person must always want to be better, not only than your opponent but better than your last performance. Done correctly, being competitive is a wonderful way to always try to be a better person by learning from your mistakes and capitalizing on your successes.” [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Continuous self‑improvement beats merely outdoing others; learning from errors fuels growth. **In simple terms:** Always aim to beat your past self. Key Takeaway Focus on personal progress. Themes self‑improvement competition learning Mood motivational practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - sports training - career development - creative projects - academic study Key Concepts growth mindset performance metrics resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance competition with well‑being? - What habits help you track personal progress? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on competition can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being a better person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-better-person/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Better Opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-opponent-306076/) [Better person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/) [Competitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive/) [Competitive Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive-wonderful-2108414/) [Correctly Competitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correctly-competitive-2108413/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Learn from your mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-from-your-mistakes/) [Learning from your mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-from-your-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Softball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/softball/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-person/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [The deeper you get into the playoffs, obviously the better the opponent is. Which means they'll be better defensively, they'll rebound better, they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-snow/the-deeper-you-get-into-the-playoffs-obviously-the-better-the/) [Eric Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-snow/) > [Every boxer is tough for me. I don't think any opponent is better than any other. Every opponent is the same for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celestino-caballero/every-boxer-is-tough-for-me-i-don-t-think-any-opponent-is-better-than/) [Celestino Caballero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celestino-caballero/) > [“Know yourself better than your opponent knows you, know your opponent better than he knows himself, know yourself better than you know your opponent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/know-yourself-better-than-your-opponent-knows-you-know-your-opponent/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Acting is like a game of tennis. The better your opponent, the better you're going to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawnee-smith/acting-is-like-a-game-of-tennis-the-better-your-opponent-the-better/) [Shawnee Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawnee-smith/) > [One doesn't have to play well, it's enough to play better than your opponent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegbert-tarrasch/one-doesn-t-have-to-play-well-it-s-enough-to-play-better-than-your/) [Siegbert Tarrasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegbert-tarrasch/) > [Why do I beat a lot of people? Because I love it so much, that’s why. Everything about Jiu Jitsu, I love it –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-garcia/why-do-i-beat-a-lot-of-people-because-i-love-it-so-much-that-s-why/) [Marcelo Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo-garcia/) > [When you go out on the court whether it be for the championship or just a scrimmage, have confidence that your abilities and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-pettit/when-you-go-out-on-the-court-whether-it-be-for-the-championship-or/) [Bob Pettit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-pettit/) > [There are people who wake up every morning look in the mirror and wonder if the world sees them the same way as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayvon-reid/there-are-people-who-wake-up-every-morning-look-in-the-mirror-and/) [Rayvon Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayvon-reid/) > [I continually improve my game by discussing hands with other intelligent players. Learning from your mistakes and immersing yourself in the study of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mercier/i-continually-improve-my-game-by-discussing-hands-with-other/) [Jason Mercier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mercier/) > [It's hard to find the right people at your first try because you never know who's right until you see who's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trilla/it-s-hard-to-find-the-right-people-at-your-first-try-because-you/) [Trilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trilla/) > [Smart is being Intellectual. Being wise is learning from your mistakes and gaining knowledge, that turn into wisdom that makes good decisions!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/smart-is-being-intellectual-being-wise-is-learning-from-your-mistakes/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“It was tempting to throw a tantrum, stomp your foot and demand that things be different. But growing up and being an adult didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-harper/it-was-tempting-to-throw-a-tantrum-stomp-your-foot-and-demand-that/) [Callie Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-harper/) > [“... life is not about not making mistakes but about learning from your mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-amor/life-is-not-about-not-making-mistakes-but-about-learning-from-your/) [Ben Amor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-amor/) > [“Everyone’s done bad in their life. No one’s perfect. But what makes the difference between bad and good is learning from your mistakes. You’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micalea-smeltzer/everyone-s-done-bad-in-their-life-no-one-s-perfect-but-what-makes-the/) [Micalea Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micalea-smeltzer/) ## More by Hale Irwin > [I don't sleep well. I rehash everything in bed. The mind's still working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/i-don-t-sleep-well-i-rehash-everything-in-bed-the-mind-s-still-working/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [I can forgive the body breaking down. It's a little tougher to forgive that mental lapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/i-can-forgive-the-body-breaking-down-it-s-a-little-tougher-to-forgive/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [New Zealand has a great reputation in America for golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/new-zealand-has-a-great-reputation-in-america-for-golf/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [My dad was a good athlete. My mom had longevity. There were some athletic genes that certainly got passed down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/my-dad-was-a-good-athlete-my-mom-had-longevity-there-were-some/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [The positions I played in football, being a quarterback and a defensive back, you had to kind of have a little independent thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/the-positions-i-played-in-football-being-a-quarterback-and-a/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [You can talk about strategy all you want, but what really matters is resiliency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/you-can-talk-about-strategy-all-you-want-but-what-really-matters-is/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [Golf is the only-est sport. You're completely alone with every conceivable opportunity to defeat yourself. Golf brings out your assets and liabilities as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/golf-is-the-only-est-sport-you-re-completely-alone-with-every/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [People, in whatever walk of life, would be surprised if they just gave themselves a chance by believing in what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/people-in-whatever-walk-of-life-would-be-surprised-if-they-just-gave/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [I never underestimate my opponent, but I never underestimate my talents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/i-never-underestimate-my-opponent-but-i-never-underestimate-my-talents/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [Feeling tired should almost never be an excuse, because your body has huge reserves of energy. But if you eat badly, stay out late,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/feeling-tired-should-almost-never-be-an-excuse-because-your-body-has/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [On the PGA Tour, guys finish in the top 10, make a ton of money and think they're great players. In my era, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/on-the-pga-tour-guys-finish-in-the-top-10-make-a-ton-of-money-and/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [Do I want to tackle a 230-pound guy who's running like a deer? Heavens no, no one in their right mind would. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/do-i-want-to-tackle-a-230-pound-guy-who-s-running-like-a-deer-heavens/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [Early in my career, my 3-, 5- and 9-irons performed differently than my other irons. But I adapted and made them work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/early-in-my-career-my-3-5-and-9-irons-performed-differently-than-my/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [It's a long, hard, difficult process to make it to a national championship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/it-s-a-long-hard-difficult-process-to-make-it-to-a-national/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) > [If you're not just a little bit nervous before a match, you probably don't have the expectations of yourself that you should have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/if-you-re-not-just-a-little-bit-nervous-before-a-match-you-probably/) [Hale Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) [Explore all 26 Hale Irwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/) ## More Being a better person quotes > [I found myself thinking a lot about my own spirituality. What it means to be Jewish, what it means to forgive, what it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-found-myself-thinking-a-lot-about-my-own-spirituality-what-it-means/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [Sometimes you have to steer away from the crowd in order to be a better person. It's not always easy, that's for sure. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/sometimes-you-have-to-steer-away-from-the-crowd-in-order-to-be-a/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Every relationship, every situation is part of a divinely created and highly specific curriculum for your soul growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/every-relationship-every-situation-is-part-of-a-divinely-created-and/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [A Champion is all they can be in every facet of their lives. They prioritize what they need to get done. But for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-higgins-cirovski/a-champion-is-all-they-can-be-in-every-facet-of-their-lives-they/) [Shannon Higgins-Cirovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-higgins-cirovski/) > [The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that's how I look at my life. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/the-greatest-thing-about-tomorrow-is-i-will-be-better-than-i-am-today-2/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [I want to take time to understand life. I want to travel. I want to be a better person, a better Mom. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-want-to-take-time-to-understand-life-i-want-to-travel-i-want-to-be/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Pause and remember - Every single event in your life, especially the difficult lessons, have made you smarter, stronger, and wiser than you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-young/pause-and-remember-every-single-event-in-your-life-especially-the/) [Jennifer Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-young/) > [I've tried to be a better person... I've tried, and tried and tried! You know how hard I've tried! Tell me how I've tried..."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/i-ve-tried-to-be-a-better-person-i-ve-tried-and-tried-and-tried-you/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [If you find yourself saying 'I can't do something', but you know it in your heart of hearts that if you do it, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-find-yourself-saying-i-can-t-do-something-but-you-know-it-in/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The beautiful gift of my husband is that he saw me the way I've always wanted to be seen and there's something really powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/the-beautiful-gift-of-my-husband-is-that-he-saw-me-the-way-i-ve/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [Everything's not black and white. We choose to make bad decisions or not. I wanted to explore that and shine a light on it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-arnett/everything-s-not-black-and-white-we-choose-to-make-bad-decisions-or/) [Will Arnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-arnett/) > [At any moment I could start being a better person, but which moment I should choose?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/at-any-moment-i-could-start-being-a-better-person-but-which-moment-i/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [I want people to leave the theater and think, "How can I be a better person?" That's the only way things are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/i-want-people-to-leave-the-theater-and-think-how-can-i-be-a-better/) [Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/) > [You cannot wait until everything becomes better before you decide to have a good attitude. You have to be the best you can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-cannot-wait-until-everything-becomes-better-before-you-decide-to/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I believe you can take all experiences and use them as knowledge and fuel to be a better person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-holker/i-believe-you-can-take-all-experiences-and-use-them-as-knowledge-and/) [Allison Holker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-holker/) [Browse all 93 Being a better person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-better-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be successful in anything, a person must always want to be better, not only than your opponent but better than your last performance. Done correctly, being competitive is a wonderful way to always try to be a better person by learning from your mistakes and capitalizing on your successes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hale Irwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-must-always-want-to-be-better/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being a better person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-must-always-want-to-be-better/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/hale-irwin-22939_being-a-better-perso_to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-mu_1810170.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be successful in anything, a person must always want to be better, not only than your opponent but better…” — Hale Irwin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hale Irwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-irwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be successful in anything, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-must-always-want-to-be-better/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-irwin/to-be-successful-in-anything-a-person-must-always-want-to-be-better/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```