When to forget the Competition

Everyday we are forced to compete in one capacity or another. Whether it be in school, work, against our peers and among society as a whole. As a result we spend much of our lives competing with the hope that we eventually obtain something better. Sometimes it can even feel as though we’re just competing with everyone and everything and that the moment we stop competing life also stops being. Yes, competition is good, especially when it can help bring out the best in us. But there are times when you really need to just take a step back and forget the competition.

Don’t forget … “The Competition“

So many people have brilliant ideas come to them and they remain nothing more than a thought that exists in their brains. I’ve had friends who were great cooks, mechanics and designers and many of them never moved forward. Their thinking was that too many other people were already doing what they were doing; they could not see how they could penetrate a market that they perceived had become over-saturated.

Every time that saturation word is mentioned now I feel a sense of unease. I see it as a cop out for people not to try harder. How many times has it been said that in the world it’s all about survival of the fittest. If you constantly concern yourself with what others are doing you may never do anything. You don’t necessarily have to compete with others to find success; you may only need to compete with the competition itself.

Understanding “The Competition”

If Brenda makes chocolate cakes to sell and you also make chocolates cakes, this can be referred to as direct competition. Nevertheless, the way Brenda makes her cakes may be totally different from the way you produce yours. It’s good to be aware of what the competition is doing to know how to tailor your offerings. But it’s better to know what you need to be doing in order to stay ahead of the game.

Trying to compete with direct competition heads on is frequently a losing battle. Why? Because it limits creative thinking as well as the chance to really blow your competition out of the water. In its biggest sense “The Competition” is merely the market.

Learn from the greatest

Do you think Usain Bolt, Will Smith or Tyra Banks always worried about what the competition was doing? Maybe at the beginning they did. But as they matured in their professions and confidence they gained more experience. Then the only things they began focusing more on was becoming the best version of themselves.

They kept taking on new challenges and pushing themselves to new limits, despite what everyone else was doing. They did this till they became known as the greatest in their respective industries.

Compete with yourself

Always remember that no matter what you would like to do, chances are several others are likely already doing it. Quite a few would also likely be far greater than you. But consider that they all had to start somewhere. Also a fact many overlook is that though these people may have long started and may have ended up becoming great, all great things must eventually come to an end. There will always be room for more greats!

At some point, if you stick with the progressive things you’re doing for long enough a door would likely open. Walking through that door may bring forth quite the unexpected. Nevertheless, meeting people who are stronger, smarter, more agile or more creative than you should only inspire you to become better. Learn from the best and you may become the best. Try only to compete with the best and you may forever lose. The key is to be forward thinking. Forget anything regressive you were taught over the years and bend the rules. Because there will always be competition, but what happens in “The Competition” is all on you.