The day you don’t place at the competition is the day you find out if you love the thing or just the medals.

Reward makes it impossible to tell why you are doing something. Take the result away and the honest answer shows up: either you still want to be in the gym on Monday, or the whole appeal was the placing. Neither answer is shameful and the second is worth knowing early, before another five years go into it. Losing is the only reliable test of motive there is.

After a result that did not go your way, pay attention to how you feel about the next session rather than about the scoreboard. If you still want to train, you have your answer.