Become an incremental theorist to excel in your field

Focus on efforts, not on results.
Let your goal be to understand how to do things and enjoy the process rather than just learning the shortcuts to excel well in competitions and exams. Realize that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory.

Pay attention to studying what is essential.
Whatever your niche is, you need to study all its essentials. This will help you become a master in your career or profession.

Embrace challenges.
For example, you could challenge yourself by going beyond your comfort zone and competing with some of the toughest people in your domain. This will not only help you to accept that losing is part of life, but it will also encourage you to train yourself more intensely for the future.