How challenges become competition traps?

For career advancement and broaden your horizon, you are encouraged to take challenges through a competition.  If it’s healthy one, you can go beyond your comfort zone that will eventually strengthen your drive and skills. The question is are you aware that a competing may become bad thing or simply a trap for you?

It could be unintentional or secretly done, but it’s impossible that your career journey would not encounter rivalry.  Perhaps, you’re once provoke to prove your worth or you want to surpass other’s accomplishment.  However, if you’re not vigilant you may also fall into someone’s hands or wrong side. How?

You focus on something that others’ have.   They say ‘keep your eyes on the prize’ especially in a contest. It’s a motivation to concentrate on what you value as a contestant and as a person.  It should not be about getting others’ credits or ideas for you to get ahead of the game. You can pass or even exceed one’s records, but never their natural qualities. Every person and moment is indeed unique so if you focus on what others’ have, frustration comes next.

You begin to limit yourself.  Comparison can be helpful too. It aims to recognize what’s one’s advantages and disadvantages. However if you take it personally, you’re limiting yourself to the point that you will not make any move unless the others do. If you do this, you’re thinking inside of the box, instead out of the box because you believe you can’t be outrageous. It’s a never-ending war that will imprison you in the end.

You allow to be manipulated.  There are different struggles in a competition trap. There’s you versus your own self, which is most likely good because you’ll develop your self-control and discipline. The other struggles would be the bout against your competitors, living up to someone else’s expectation, and allowing outsiders to take advantage of you while you’re busy.  Your foes could be less or many, but it doesn’t matter as long as you know what you are fighting for.  Remember there’s also bravery in quitting and wisdom in choosing your battle.