You open the standings page five minutes into the contest and see that half the people already solved A. Your heart sinks. You look at the rank list and start counting how many points you need to not lose rating. You check your friends' profiles and feel behind. Then you rush, make silly mistakes, and end up exactly where you feared. That is what I did a lot before. Comparison is the fastest way to kill your performance. It takes your focus away from the problem and puts it on things you can't control. The only number that matters is the one you're trying to improve, not the one next to your friend's name. Everyone has different backgrounds, different practice schedules, and different learning curves. You don't see their journey, only their result. Next contest, stay off the standings. Close that tab. Trust your own pace. Solve what you can, learn from what you can't, and let the rating take care of itself. The real win isn't beating someone else, it's being better than you were last week. Wish you have lots of good contests. :)
