Skip to main content

5 Questions You Can Ask Yourself to Be Competitive

Some say that competition is bad, that we should just aim for cooperation. But looking at how the real world works, we could that we could gain something from competition. Look at how Apple and Windows are slugging it out. And see Linux. They get challenged to churn out better products (Ahem! for Vista) and we get choices.

In my opinion, competition keeps you on your toes. It spurs you on to be better. A lot of people tend to settle with just scraping by with the bare minimum. But it’s never too late to decide that you might want to accomplish something that’s above what you’ve done so far.
However, spurring yourself on shouldn’t be something that you do for the sake of doing it. Reckless abandon doesn’t often result in the best things. So before you go out launching some competition against some random bloke, go ask yourself a few things.

What do I really want?
Establish S.M.A.R.T. goals. Make sure that it’s specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to dream big. Just work on smaller goals in order to reach that big dream. If you plan to be a Hollywood star. How about taking some acting lessons first (or a series of plastic surgeries).

How much do I want it?
Motivation is one of the keys to success. And you just have to want things more than the average Joe Schmoe.
A corollary question to this would be, “What am I willing to risk to get to my goal?” Anything that compromises your or other people’s well-being is not healthy competition anymore. It’s mania.

With whom am I competing?
Remember that in this life, you are not the only one who’s dreaming big. If you plan to get rich, hey, practically everyone wants to do the same. A key to success is being competitive is acknowledging the competition. If you’re smart, expect everyone to smart as well.

What do I have over everyone else?
Focus on your strengths. Knowing that you have advantages over other people can help you overcome that sense of mediocrity.


What do I gain from it?
While self-motivation is great to push you to the top, you might also get overboard. A bit of thought given to the possible outcomes and the pros and cons can help you decide whether the endeavor’s worth taking. Does the end justify the means?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Team Effectiveness?

Team effectiveness refers to the system of getting people in a company or institution to work together effectively. The idea behind team effectiveness is that a group of people working together can achieve much more than if the individuals of the team were working on their own. Team effectiveness is determined by a number of factors, such as: * The right mix of skills. Team effectiveness depends in part on bringing together people who have different skills that somehow complement each other. This can mean different technical abilities or communication skills. In fact, teaming up people who share the exact same characteristics is often a recipe for disaster. Team effectiveness depends on people taking on different roles in a group setting. If there is no agreement on who does what in the group, it is unlikely that the team will prosper. * The right motivation. Team effectiveness is directly linked to the interest that the group has on the project. If the job is too easy or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Study GMAT

When you are going to prepare for GMAT Exam you have many questions in your mind as what is this test all about? Why is it necessary to take this test? What are the contents of this test? How to prepare this test? And what are the strategies that can be proved useful during exam? This article is aimed at answering all your questions and it will be quite useful for you while preparing for the GMAT exam. Prepare GMAT using GMATPass.com (http://www.gmatpass.com) As far as the question of what is this test for and why it is important? is concerned, the answer to these questions is very simple. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test that's used to predict a college graduate's likelihood of succeeding in graduate schools of business. While not all business schools require candidates to take the GMAT test, the vast majority do. Scores range between 200 and 800 on the GMAT test, and everything else being equal, a higher score naturally improves your chance...
1 comment
Read more

How to Motivate Yourself to Write

Let’s see… Your deadline for that essay is tomorrow but you still can’t get a word out of you. You’re suffering from a writing deficiency beginner writers have. Some people think writing is easy and trivial. But that’s cheap talk. An articulate person can have all year to write a bestseller and still end up with a blank page. If you want to be a writer, you have to work for it. Reading is always a good way to get inspired. But for now, consider these pointers: Eliminate distractions. Sometimes, it’s not really an issue of motivation but more of a distraction issue. If you feel stymied by all of the things going on around you, then go find a good spot. If you’re the word processor type of writer, then why not use a distraction free word processor like DarkRoom . Write what you know. It’s hard enough to put into words your thoughts without having to come up with a compelling piece that’s totally alien to you. Choose your mentor. Be careful who you look up to. Often times, ...
Post a Comment
Read more