Competition as a motivator...

[FutureBillionaire]

Does anyone else cringe at the idea that other people are out there trying to do the thing you're trying to do? Like, start the same kind of business.

The thought of other people out there doing what I am doing, and someone has to win, makes me more motivated than anything.

Anyone else feel this way?

[fourthdan]

I think it's not just about when you're competing to start a business, but when you're doing anything. You're so rarely alone when you're trying to do something - right now at work, i'm competing with a colleague who's younger, a local to the country I'm in, with better resources (he's filthy rich) - but it's still fun. It's a challenge channelling the panic of losing to him into motivation to beat him, or at least become an equal.

I find that rivals have always driven me to squeeze out the most effort and drive - even in school, and those competitions tend to be some of the best times of my life. It makes you evolve.

But then there is the part where you have to keep at the back of your mind that there will ALWAYS be someone better than you, and life isn't a race against others but a journey on your own.

[Alex]

I would like to invite you to momentarily entertain the fact that what you are experiencing is a scarcity mindset. The need for security and competition for things such as jobs, promotions and grades are all part of this scarcity mindset.

On the other side of the coin is the abundance mindset. This includes having more business and financial skills coupled with the creativity and cooperation to use them.

Which path do you believe to lead to increasing financial abundance? It's a choice.

[alexander.kharlamov]

I second Alex's post (in general, people named Alex tend to be pretty smart )

I would not be honest if I said I don't get a feeling of "dammit, it should've been me!" every time I hear of somebody cashing in on a great idea, selling a business or going public, because those are close to my goals as well.

But, that feeling passes soon and I realize that I should be glad. Every time I hear of somebody succeeding, be it business or something else, I get reassured that "it can be done!" We're all surrounded by a bunch of negativity, people not understanding what personal development is about, and trying to get you to confirm to some "standard" of what you should do in life.

And when I hear about somebody climbing out of that pool of mediocrity and reaching his or her dreams, whatever they may be, my thoughts are "great! now there's another example for me to follow. I'm right in doing what I'm doing, I just need to not give up, just like that guy did."

[Jerry K]

You're absolutely right to feel fear that other people are starting the same kind of business, if that's what you're feeling. Then accept the fear for what it is, just an emotion, almost like "so what?" There's 6 billion people in the world, it's not about coming up with a unique idea, it's about giving your idea your own personal expression so that you connect with some of those other 5,999,999,999 people. What makes you different from everyone else? What is the passion for why you are doing this business?

For me as a media professional, I am constantly refining and focusing what seperates the way I tell stories from the way other people do essentially the same thing. For me, it's as much about the final product as it is about the process of arriving at the finish line - in other words, a lot of people like to work with me because of the fact that I treat the teams I work with respectfully, and although it's not done with an agenda, this respect shines through in the finished product.

does that help at all? guess I'm just saying , yeah fear is good because it reminds you that you probably AREN'T creating something unique, use it like you would a yellow traffic light signal - you don't freak out when you see a yellow light "Oh my god should I go or stop WHAT DO I DO!" you just respect the signal for what it is, a reminder that you might need to change velocity soon and you deal with it and move on. Fear just reminds you that you need to stay focused on what makes the way you offer your product or service special.

[JJH]

@Alex: 100% agree with you there. When I came to this realization only a short while ago, my entire outlook changed and opportunities seemed to jump out at me.

When one changes from the competitive mindset to the creative, the realization of abundance occurs -- and one shifts from competing for what others have, to creating things for oneself (without fear).

So I'm no longer motivated by that stressful, scrambling feeling of competition. I'm driven by what seems like a more powerful and "healthy" motivator to express and create.

I would recommend Wallace Wattles great book "The Science of Getting Rich" for more on this topic.

[stephencp]

In spite of being the foundation of the American fabric, I don't think that competition (defined as a contest in which someone else must lose for you to win) is a good motivator. You are often trying just not to lose, not necessarily to "win" and not necessarily to do something the best you can, just enough to "win". Fiercly competitive people often have low self esteem and often do not want to work cooperatively (since competition and cooperation are opposite.)
Check out "No Contest" by Alfie Kohn.

stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics