From competitive to creative

Take a moment to think about how you perceive the concept of opportunity.

How do you approach (or have you approached) things like finding a new job, getting a promotion, getting into the school you want, signing a new client, or coming up with a new idea for a business you want to start?

We’ve all been conditioned to view these opportunities through the lens of competition.

In other words, we tend to believe that there is a limited supply of opportunities - and so we think that the only way to acquire what we want is to compete for it.

Our mind tells us to believe that there is only so much of it to go around.

And when we believe there is only a finite supply of opportunities, that impacts the way we pursue them.

But there’s another way to view opportunity: through the lens of a creator.

Unlike a competitor, a creator believes there is both an unlimited supply of opportunity and that they have the ability to create them.

A creator doesn’t believe they must compete with someone else in order to access opportunity and live a full life.

A creator is free because they are not forced to make decisions about their path based on the paths or actions of others.

Here’s another way to think about it:

If the source motivation for what you’re seeking is premised on the idea that you’re constantly in competition for a limited supply, then your ability to grow and pursue those opportunities will be constrained by the limitations that you believe exist.

If you always believe that there is only so much opportunity to go around, then you’re restricted to a very limited set of circumstances in which you can live and operate.

Try this:

If you want to move toward a creator’s mindset:

Start by honing in on one opportunity you want to pursue where you believe you’re operating from a place of competition, and where a creative mindset would suit you better.

Then ask the question: What can I do to move from focusing on competition to focusing on creativity?

Remember that when you use a competitive mindset, it creates the dynamic of “You vs. Everyone.” It ties the limits of your potential to what other people are doing.

Finally, remind yourself that there are an infinite number of opportunities.

This is the hardest part to believe because we get caught up in thinking at a microscopic level each day.

Our moment to moment experiences shield us from seeing the enormous amount of opportunity that exists outside of what’s in our immediate field of vision.

Try on for size the idea that you’re not limited to a narrow set of circumstances that you may have been using to view the world to this point.

Boundless opportunities exist. And each of us has the ability to access them.

Go have a great workday.