Why I Stopped Worrying About Competition And Started Focusing On Me

CailaKSpeaks Side Hustle Pro
Recently, someone forwarded me an email about an event for entrepreneurs. The event was specifically aimed at my target audience (people who work full time jobs but also want to pursue entrepreneurship). I remember thinking, “Well, this is awesome. This means I’m on to something. There’s a market for this and other people recognize that there’s a market.”

Similarly, when my website was focused on highlighting people of color in working in tech and digital, someone else sent me a link to another website and said, “Hey they’re doing this. Here goes your competition.” And again I thought: “And?”

Competition does not deter me.

Competition via CailaKSpeaks.com
Source: WOCinTech

When I set my mind to something there’s nobody on this earth who is going to out work me. I really subscribe to Will Smith’s line of thinking when he says that. It’s not about who else is in the game, it’s about who is going to stick through it and keep working on this and is not going to stop. And that is me.

Let’s get real about competition for a second. Throughout your day, if you really want to get stuff done, you should be focused on you. There will always be at least twenty or more things about myself that I can be working on. So at any given point, the only time that I will allow myself to be thinking about or comparing myself to someone is…NEVER.

That’s right, never. I don’t have the time or energy to be concerned about what someone else is doing if I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. If I’m doing everything that I’m supposed to be doing, then there is no reason in the world that I even have any competition. Because I’m in my own lane. I was created specifically to add something to this world that no one else can add.

Nicaila Matthews Side Hustle Pro CailaKSpeaks

No one is you and that is your power

So there are only two situations that can exist. Either I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and therefore fulfilling my purpose. Or I’m depriving the world of my unique purpose. Competition is a myth. I repeat – there are only two scenarios that exist: Either I’m contributing what I was put on this earth to contribute – or I’m not. And that’s my focus every day. So the next time you send me an email, instead of telling me what someone else is doing, ask me if I’ve contributed everything I was supposed to contribute to the world this week.

3 thoughts

  1. This was nice encouragement! Are there any thoughts about whether or not it’s fitting to “combine forces” with an individual/organization whose lane is very similar to yours? Playing a game of collaboration, rather than competition?

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