Dr. Keith Bell's 76 Rules for Outperforming the Competition: A Philosophy for Excellence

In some ways, this book is about life, at least about some rules for living. It is about finding meaning in life, about taking hold of what life has to offer, and about enriching your life. It is about making your life as rewarding as possible. Of course, if this book is to be about life, it has to be about the trip, not the destination.

For more than thirty years I’ve worked with many of the world’s top athletes and teams. During that time, I’ve been privileged to be part of their quests for gold, for championships, and for records. Inevitably, their quests have taken the form of the pursuit of excellence, for it is through the pursuit of excellence that one outperforms the competition.

The very best athletes play to win. They understand, however, that there are times when winning isn’t good enough. It’s not good enough to win when the competition isn’t good. A victory fueled by mediocre, let alone poor, performances isn’t what the top athletes are after. Such victory may bring some awards and accolades, but it doesn’t provide the fulfillment they experience when they play extremely well. Moreover, they know that if they only do what it takes to win (even against formidable competition, let alone against substandard competition), they run the risk of soon getting beat out by new, unnoticed, or up-and-coming competitors.

The best athletes also understand that sometimes high-quality performance isn’t good enough. It’s not good enough when others perform better. They know there is pleasure in a game well-played, but, no matter how well they play, they still want to win. Sometimes, no matter how well you are performing, you have to throw it into overdrive in order to outperform an unexpected challenge.

Thus is the utility of a philosophy for excellence. When you strive to excel, you strive to outperform the competition, but you also look past the competition with your eye on superlative quality. That way, you stay on track to outperform the most worthy of opponents, even unseen ones, who may have kicked it up a notch to set new standards.

A philosophy for excellence will not only help you to outperform the competition, but it will tend to provide the richest and most meaningful ride. It will keep you playing and absorbed in the big game even after you win any of life’s individual games.

A philosophy is a system of principles for guidance of practical affairs. This book is meant to outline a philosophy for excellence. It is meant to guide you to outperform the competition.

So, here are 76 rules for outperforming the competition. Here are 76 rules that make up a philosophy for excellence.

The rules are not meant to be advice from which to select or from which to generally follow. The idea is not to pick and chose when, or under which circumstances, you follow the advice. The idea isn’t to follow the guidelines when you remember or when you think it may be important to do so.

What is offered is 76 rules that compose a philosophy for excellence, a system of principles by which to live. Rules will be stronger guides than advice.

The idea is to follow the rules strictly and consistently. Live by the rules. Live a philosophy for excellence. That is how you outperform the competition.

Many won’t read this book. Many won’t care if they outperform the competition.

Many others will think they care, but will only give lip service to wanting to outperform the competition. They won’t be willing to do what it takes.

Hopefully, many will buy this book. Some, however, will buy it and never get around to reading it. (See Rule # 38: Seize the moment.) They will kid themselves into thinking that they are doing something by buying it, by having "Dr. Keith Bell’s 76 Rules for Outperforming the Competition" sit on their bookshelves, or by leaving "Dr. Keith Bell’s 76 Rules for Outperforming the Competition" laying around the office.

Many will read this book, but fail to adopt the rules. They will feel committed, but won’t truly commit themselves. They won’t understand the difference between intent and action. They will learn the rules, let the rules guide some of their actions, but they will fail to diligently adhere to the rules. They won’t consistently live by a philosophy for excellence.

It is easy to outperform the competition. Well, it is easy to outperform the competition, but it is difficult to outperform the competition.

It is easy to outperform the competition because most people never even put themselves in the game. Many others will play, but most of them are not willing to do what it takes to win.

It is difficult to outperform the competition because if you do what it takes, your main competition ultimately comes from those who also do what it takes. Then it gets tougher to win. That is much of what this book is about: outperforming even the worthy opponent.

When Ironman legend, Dave Scott, was asked how he thought Mark Allen, his top competitor, was going to do in an upcoming Ironman, Dave said, "I hope he has the race of his life. And, I want to beat him when he does."

Such a desire to outperform the very best at his very best, sets up the game. What follows here, is a philosophy for playing and winning that game: 76 rules for outperforming the competition