Competition isn’t a dirty word. In fact, it’s a great way to grow your skills. Just think of how it feels when you find ways to challenge yourself.
How can you do that?
Pick a project you do every year. I hated putting together annual reports. You had to spend to much time dealing with numbers and knew it was a piece that very few people were going to actually read. I began using it as my challenge piece. How could I make it interesting and graphically pleasing? How could I use the information gathering process to increase my understanding of my industry? I began using my most hated project as a competition with myself.
Make sure you are stirring your brain cells. To stay competitive in the workforce, you need to keep looking for ideas and learning new skills.
Nurture your ideas and mind. Let them grow. Keep your eyes on the trends, pop culture, home living trends, etc… Do your research. Study other brands and what they are doing. Being aware of what is out there can give you ideas. Hang out with other people who work in the same business. Having a core group of people you can toss ideas around with and be inspired by will help you year after year.
Being competitive means when you hit a wall you don’t quit. You find another way around it. You look at things differently. If you are struggling to find a way to express something. See if you can get outside your regular train of thought. See if there’s a new angle you can try.
Competitive people take risk. They are daring and bold. They aren’t afraid to color outside the lines and break the rules.
Don’t take yourself to seriously. Don’t allow that competitive spirit to stop you from enjoying the journey. Use it to push yourself and to gain new skills and reach new levels of expertise. If you’ll start thinking of competition with yourself as a tool, I think you’ll find it a great help on your path to success.