So what is it that makes people competitive? Could it be to make their Nanna proud, or their Grandad, Moms and Dads proud? Or perhaps being better than their brother and sister, or could it be the greed of money and power? 

The money that gives them what they want, and perhaps the power to influence others to do, what they want them to do. Could it be just plain old ego, or are there other forces of nature in play? Whatever the reason, if you don't take control of your life now, then simply, somebody else will.

I watched an interview when Australian, Casey Stoner won the world superbike championship. The interviewer said, "Well Casey, you've won the world championship, are you surprised?" On the podium, champagne going everywhere. "No not really, it has been part of our plan." I laughed and said to my wife, "how about that, he knew it was happening."

You see nothing "just happens", other people work for what they attain. Let's put you on the podium. The first step is to identify who and where your competition will come from. You need to look below to see if any of these directly relate to us, or more in particular you.

For some unknown reason these people actually think they are better than you. But they're not. You see there's competition everywhere, but you can't be beaten all your life. I'm not so sure winning all the time makes you happier. There is one thing I am sure of.

You don't have to compete with any of them

Consider this. What is the most common statement you hear in just about every interview by world record holders in any field. Science, sport, jobs and career, even partners and marriage. They say " I knew I had to be better, to get what I wanted. In other words, beat your PB. Your personal best."

That's the key: The only competitor is yourself! You see if you keep striving to beat your best last performance, at what ever you are doing, then you will ultimately become the best of the best of the best.

You don't have to be a sore loser because somebody beat you at something. What you do have to be sore about is that your best just wasn't good enough at the time. If you focus on what you want to achieve and continue to be better than you were in the past, then it is you that will become  the most sought after with the highest income. It doesn't involve anyone else, only you. Your competitors are just other people.

So how do you get that job or promotion? Answer: Get better at what you do. How do you get more money and holiday time, be better at understanding those that want to beat you.

Nearly everybody is a competitor, that's OK, don't worry about them. If you are constantly worrying about what they are doing, then you are wasting your own thought energy that should be going into thinking about yourself and your own performance.

The worst thing you can do is to lock yourself away and think that studying is the answer. Well it's only part of the answer. You know what the real key is, it's happiness.

When you're happy, your entire body structure changes as opposed to being unhappy. Your entire physical and mental presence becomes contagious and influential, where others will want you around them. They will listen to you, enjoy your smiles and take notice of what you say. Why, because you make them happy.

I know you have heard it all before, be happy, get happy, buy a happy meal. The one thing that will get you jumping out of your skin is to secretly start working on how you are going to become the chosen one. The job application, the team leader, the manager, whatever you want. When you start your plan on how to position yourself to get what you want, no matter how slow your progress, you will become elated and excited at the prospect of surprising everyone. You will be the "unknown quantity". You will be the happy one that knows where it's at. You know what's required.   

But if your unhappy, all the time worrying about what others are doing then most of what you do will be alone. You know what it's like when you are with somebody that's always unhappy, or trying to be better than others. You try to avoid them without being rude don't you.

To beat your competition, just try to be better yourself and you will become the big winner. But you won't beat anybody if you don't start being better today. You don't really have any competitors, they're just other people trying to get the best for themselves. 

If you want the job they're going for, you just have to be better equipped than them, that's all. Faster cars, bigger houses, more money, who cares, good on them. You should be congratulating them for getting what they want. But you; you should be just planning things for yourself, and we'll happily give you a hand. We get off on other peoples success.