I know you have probably been through it. You come up with a great idea. You are working through a strategy. Then before you know it someone else in your network, who you may have connected with online, is all of a sudden creating the same thing.
A few things can happen here:
- You can let it de-motivate you. You can let it get you down and think “Oh, there are not enough pieces of the pie for me, and what’s going to happen in my business if they are doing the same thing that I am trying to do?”
- You can take it as a motivator and get your butt in gear, and continue to climb that hill. If you have created something and someone else wants to do the same thing, it means that it is probably a pretty darn good idea!
Let me tell you, when you are a successful business owner there are always going to be other people who want to do the same things as you. They are going to be creating the same services, the same products, the same workshops, the same online offerings. You need to remember that they are NOT YOU! It is not going to be authentic. Your clients come to you because it is YOU! They know that you are the best in the industry and you are the one that they are going to work with. Keep your head high and stay in your own lane.
An acquaintance of mine used the term “Mind Pirate” a few years ago and it stuck with me ever since. It refers to those people who take your ideas, your offerings and try to make them their own.
What you need to do as the business owner, is keep your eye on the prize. Keep your eye on that end goal. The reason that you created this service or product, and what it is you want to offer for your clients. Stay focused on where you’re going, climb your own hill to get there. You can let others continue to try to climb up the hill after you and have what you want, but I can guarantee that if it’s not authentic for them, they’re never going to make it to that top of the mountain like you are with the same success.
The next time you come upon something that happens in your business and you start to feel disheartened from others creating similar products and services, remind yourself that the reason it is happening is because you are the best of the best. It is happening because others want to be like you. They see what you have and they want to have that for themselves, and for their business, as well. As business owners, when we create our goals, build our strategies, and stay on course, we are going to reach the end more efficiently and effectively, and have a lot more fun doing it.
Competition can also keep us on our toes and help us to follow through with our ideas and strategies. Have you read Big Magic where Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the Idea Fairy? If you don’t act upon that Idea fairy she will fly on to somebody else.
The next time something comes up in your business and you start to think, “Oh, why are they doing that? Why are they offering the same thing that I am offering?” I want you to remind yourself that it’s happening because you are onto something really good and celebrate that. Celebrate your success. Celebrate that others want what you have, stay clear and focused on your goals, and continue to climb. You will win that climb each and every time.