Your Competition is You

One of the biggest problems I’ve always had as a writer is comparing my success to others.

It’s easy to feel like a failure when you look at all the successes and judge yourself by somebody else’s metrics.

You get discouraged, especially when you look at what they’re putting out in the world and know that not only could you do that but you could do it better.

And then it seems all so unfair and overwhelming. You quit and go back to focusing completely on your boring, unrewarding day job and you percolate in your unhappiness.

I want to give you a piece of advice: stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Your pity party will never help you overcome, adapt, and succeed.

Because the truth of the matter is that they’re not your competition.

You are.

You’re the one standing in your own way. You’re the one who’s preventing you from putting in the work and getting things done. You’re the one judging you.

No one else has the time for that. They’re too busy reaping the rewards of their hard work.

But here’s the good news.

You can overcome this judgment by doing simple things.

You need to reframe your perspective and come to look at the success of others as a source of inspiration, not agitation.

Here’s how you do that.

Find people that are doing what you want to do and keep an eye on them

Emulate them, praise them, and support them in their endeavors.

Remember they’re not your competition, but your best source of inspiration.

Embrace positivity.

It’s much easier to be negative about everything than to remain positive.

If you’re struggling financially, for example, you might feel overwhelmed, overburdened, and painted into a corner.

I’m always reminded of the advice my father gave to me on worrying when it comes to matters like these:

“Can you change it right now? If the answer is no, then don’t worry about it. Focus on the solution and not the problem. If the answer is yes, then don’t worry about it. Just change it.”

The point being, don’t worry. Start solving.

Realize that no problem is insurmountable.

When I was in the USAF, I routinely had subordinates who would tell me what I was asking them to do was impossible.

I would always respond with, “If you can’t go around it, over it, or under it, then you have only one option left. Go through it.”

The problem will not change because you’re discouraged. It doesn’t care about your feelings towards it.

The only way the problem will change is if you actively engage it and overcome it.

Know that you are your only competition.

That little voice in your head will always cast doubt, because human beings worry about whether they are good enough and accepted by others.

We are social creatures and that’s built into us.

But there’s another voice in your head, maybe it’s a bit quieter, but it believes in you and knows you can succeed.

Amplify that voice. Have it tell the other voice to shut the hell up.

Because you’ve got things to do and no time to worry about failure.

At the end of the day, the only thing holding you back is you.

You are more than capable of overcoming what may seem to be insurmountable odds.

But you have to change your mindset and believe that yourself.

As for me, I’m not worried about it.

I know you’re capable of great things.

Thanks for reading!

Hi, I'm Joe. I help creators share their unique voices simply and effectively. Here's how I can help you:

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