What is your competition?

Before we get to answering this question, let's preface that by saying the media always blames social media companies for ruining our focus and attention span and giving us depression and anxiety.

I think that's wrong.

I believe we're doing it to ourselves because we followed our instincts of the need for dopamine.

Our dopamine leads us. And if we aren't careful or conscious (which is almost all of us), we go down the spiral staircase of needing more and more from social media.

There's only a rare few who can unplug themselves, while remaining in contact with their friends and world.

Going back to the essence of this post: what is your competition?

My take is, it is you. It is ourselves. If we can control our desire for easy dopamine and divert our energy to whatever field we're currently working on, we would have more time and energy and inspiration.

We're bound to improve faster.

Don't underestimate our addiction to easy dopamine. It's hard to break. But if you want to outcompete yourself, you have to break the access to easy dopamine. Or at least ration it.

Often, it's the activities that offer less-easy dopamine that improve us in ways which are lasting.