In business there is always competition with yourself. When it comes to business competition, you must understand that the winner takes all! It doesn't matter if the prize is only a dollar; the winner still goes home with a dollar. And while you are doing your own homework and strategizing for next week's competition, who is out there beating everyone else at their own game? The simple truth is that every day in the world there is someone, some company or organization doing what has never been done before and trying to do it better than everyone else!
What competition essentially boils down to is the art of being the best in your field; however there is always a 'competitor' trying to outsmart you by staying one step ahead of you at all times. The description comes from the Greek word which means to strive or fight to excel. Competition basically arises when two or more entities compete for a common objective that can't be shared: for example, between an organization like companies, humans, social groups and so on. Definition of competition thus implies that it is the contest to excel in something, to go beyond one's own expectation, and generally to strive to excel in the area where one is proficient at.
Now, if you're thinking, I know all this sounds deep and philosophical, but actually it is not. And if you ask any sports player or athlete about the game, they will immediately tell you that competition is a vital part of the game. This is why they practice, eat well and train so hard. It's because they know that if they don't practice and eat well, then they are not going to be in top shape when the game starts. In fact, competition has been proven to reduce injuries; reduce the number of days lost to work, improve performance, work towards your goal, etc., !
Now, if you're one of those people who are lazy, don't worry! You are definitely not alone. There are many people who are lazy and don't push themselves to achieve greatness. They believe that it is better to stay in their comfort zone, be happy with what they have, and worry about whether or not someone else is going to surpass them.
And guess what? This is not only wrong, but it is also detrimental to our self-esteem! People who are in the comfort zone and worry excessively about whether someone is going to surpass them are also the ones who never take action and just try to stay in their comfort zone, day in and day out! If you want to be successful, you must be willing to take action in a consistent manner every single day.
So how do you prevent this from happening? One of the best ways is to create competition with yourself. It does not have to be anything big, just something where you have a set goal, and you work towards that goal until you achieve it. If you put yourself in a position where you are not the best, then write down your accomplishments (good or bad) and compare them with where you would like to be. See where there is room for improvement, and keep working towards that goal.
Also, watch what you say to yourself. When you are in competition with yourself, you will be saying negative things to yourself all day long. Instead of saying, "I'm not good enough," say, "I'm going to be the best." If you don't win the race but beat yourself up about it, this is going to have a very negative effect on your self esteem. Work on this one step at a time and your self esteem will grow.
Another way to prevent a lot of self-doubt is to constantly tell yourself that you are going to accomplish your goals. No matter how small the goal is, if you don't tell yourself that you will accomplish it, you won't. Sooner or later you are going to stumble upon something that you have been dreaming of, but you won't tell yourself that you will do it. Remember to tell yourself that you will accomplish your goal as often as you can. Tell yourself that tomorrow is going to be a day of success, and soon enough your self-esteem will increase because you have worked toward making yourself successful. If you don't believe that you can be successful, you won't, so don't even try.
