Competition is a dynamic obstacle keeping us away from our goal. Competition is not like a hill one must climb that will stay in place; our competition thinks, adapts, and regroups. It wins. It causes us to lose.
Competition demands that we do more than add new parts. New parts only complicated what is probably an already complicated and overly complex set of moving parts. Competition forces us to reconsider what we already have, and to place what we already have in systems that utilize what we already have in ways that get us closer to our goal.
Our goal is still our goal. That is to say, even with competition, our goal is not to defeat them, they are simply an obstacle on our way to glory. No. Competition is never our goal. Only an obstacle. This means we only use enough resources to understand our competition and our own systems in relation to our competition. But we never lose sight of our goals. In fact, we still remain flexible in our pursuits, even if that flexibility means changing aims. But we NEVER make beating competition our goal.
Competition is just an obstacle; WE cannot allow it to become a distraction.
Competition creates an urgent response for efficiency. This efficiency involves focus of role. When we organize our desks(heaven forbid, right?) we assign a place and thus, a role, for each area. Pens and pen holders have an assigned area, and with a lot of luck(if YOU are like OWL) we put pens where we always put pens and put pens back where we always put them, their assigned area, and role. This creates an ergonomic space. A space suitable for better efficiency of use.
Further, there is a certain amount of cultivation that has to occur. Success without competition, with static obstacles, has to be cultivated. A skateboarder has to cultivate a certain amount of balance, flexibility, and phukkk it, skill, in order to even get to a level where competition with other skaters is even a remote opportunity.
Which is main reason making competition one’s goal is risky. No matter who or what our competition is, We always have to cultivate a level of mastery and talent because today’s competition is tomorrow’s joke. But, we still have goals and objectives to meet, no matter what. It can be corny in today’s conversation , but there is still a ton of Truth in that sentiment that WE are our own biggest competition.
There is a need to cultivate instincts that competition today might not provide. There is a need to cultivate system intelligence and design thinking. We cannot just toss new machinery in and expect it to just work with our present way of doing things. Our work flows have to be cultivated in such a way that we understand instinctively and analytically where a hole SHOULD be filled, not just COULD be. “Oh, we COULD just through a server here…” No. We KNOW what needs to be placed where and have a fairly well reasoned idea of what to expect from such additions.