big-wheelsI recently made a business trip to Southern California which gave me the opportunity to reconnect with my younger brother.  We had a great time remembering our years growing up together, even some of the many arguments and fights we got in.

One of my favorite memories was The Big Wheel Race of 1975.  Both of us had a Big Wheel, a plastic three-wheeled modified tricycle that resembled a small chopper.  It had an adjustable seat which I barely was able to squeeze into.  As I got a bit taller, I simply removed the seat and road it like a chariot, pushing it forward as if riding a skateboard.

One day I challenged my brother to a Big Wheel race.  I knew I would win since I was older, bigger, and could push my Big Wheel faster than he could pedal it.  My dad, tired of our constant bickering, agreed to be the judge and official starter.  We lined up on the street in front of our house, ready to race.  I taunted my brother, bragging on how bad I was going to beat him.

Then Dad changed the rules.  He told me that the only fair way to race would be for me to pedal my Big Wheel.  I protested but he insisted.  I squeezed onto the seat and waited for the signal, still confident I’d win.

Unfortunately, because I was too heavy, all of my weight caused the large front wheel of the Big Wheel to lose traction.  My brother quickly passed me and I finished the race a good 30 feet behind him.  I was embarrassed and my dad made a big deal of pointing out how much I bragged before the race about my dominance.  My perceived dominance was certainly not definite.

Overconfidence is something we all have at times.  After all, our hard work at mastering a trade or skill should give us a sense of confidence.  The danger is when we rely on our past performance so much that we lose sight of how those same skills might have eroded.  Our previous dominance of that skill, task, or ability gives us overconfidence that makes us very vulnerable.

We all love watching an underdog get a win.  What we don’t think of is that an underdog wins when overconfidence blinds the more dominant opponent into underpreparing.  I learned my lesson on overconfidence in 1975 and it’s never far from my mind.

This week, take some time to evaluate your perceived dominance.  Are you doing everything you can to keep yourself at that level?  If not, this might be the time to re-evaluate and re-load.  We’re all only as good as our last performance.