Does this sound familiar to you? “No matter how accomplished or how many awards you get, you’re always still thinking there’s somebody out there who’s better than you.” Come on, admit it. You’ve heard yourself saying something like this when it comes to comparing what you’re doing to what your competitor is up to.
And now let me tell you this: You’re not alone. Even somebody as accomplished as Sir Paul McCartney is still sweating over what other musicians are putting out. Yes, Paul McCartney, one of history’s most celebrated songwriters and ex-Beatle, said the above sentence.
I heard McCartney talking about his fear that somebody else’s new record might be better than his in a recent NPR interview. And it made think that if even Paul McCartney is struggling with this “never good enough” thinking – then why can’t we allow ourselves the occasional frustrated sigh over our own insecurity?
I hereby give you permission to doubt yourself from time to time.
Why should I do such a thing, you might ask? Isn’t this all about being a communications rebel that defies competition with poise and determination? Well, not always.
Sometimes it’s necessary to face your insecurities to know where you want to learn. <— Tweet this if you agree! And sometimes it’s crucial to admit to yourself where you feel you’re lacking in experience to determine in which areas you want to improve your skills and grow.
Even Paul McCartney admitted in his NPR interview that, “One thing that’s good about [this insecurity] is, I think it’s a good motivator. It keeps you hungry. […] But there’s still this little voice in the back of my brain that goes, “No, no, no. You could do better. This person over here is excelling. Try harder!” It still can be a little bit intimidating.”
So, what if you took McCartney’s words to heart? I’m pretty sure your world would look something like this:
Competition is good because it’s kicking your butt to become even better at what you do.
Competition helps questioning what you’re doing and motivates you to refine your brand and as a consequence become crystal clear about your voice. I encourage you to see your competition not as something that stands in the way of your success but as a source of inspiration and reflection. What can you do that your competition hasn’t tried yet? How can you use your voice to differentiate yourself from others in the same industry? Where can you do better? And not to outdo your competition, but to wow your audience.
So take it from an ex-Beatle, not me: Competition is here to spur you on.
Rebel on!
Nina
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