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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?
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