Keeping Your Eyes on the Road
Experts say most accidents that happen on the road are the result of driver negligence. It doesn’t take an expert to figure that out. After all, you’ve seen the usual suspects on the road. There’s “Mr. Cell Phone Talker” who’s oblivious to everything not attached to his ear. There’s “Ms. Eye Shadow Applicator” who’s trying to finish that last dab of Purple Sunrise before she hits the brakes. But with all of these offenders, the worst may be the good old-fashioned “rubbernecker.”
These are the drivers that slow down…way down… to see what everyone else is doing and what’s going on. In the process, they almost cause a wreck of their own. If there is one thing you could say to these people, it would be, “Keep your eyes on the road!”
The business world is full of these rubberneckers, too. What you do in your car is one thing, but in your business, everything can fall apart if you start taking your eyes off the road.
Here’s what I mean: In the past week, I’ve gotten several calls that started with, “My competition is this and that.” While it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your competition from time to time, it should be in your rearview mirror as you zoom past them on your way to success.
Before you get too concerned with what your competitors are doing, pay attention to what you’re doing. Keep your eyes on the road.
When Business Owner Bob gets caught up in what the competition is doing, here’s what happens: Bob starts paying more and more attention to the competition. Eventually, he stops doing what made him successful in the first place and he starts mimicking the things he thinks the competition is doing to succeed. Unfortunately, what he doesn’t see is that the competition only looks successful. Behind the scenes, that competitor is probably struggling to pay the bills, attract clients, and keep his doors open. The worst part is that Bob won’t realize this until he’s in the same shape. If he’d only stuck to what was working in the first place, he’d be in the fast lane.
It’s all about balance. You should keep an eye on your competitors to see what they are up to, but don’t get stuck staring as they zoom past you.
In the end, remember that competition is like death and taxes. It’s always there. Just expect it to be there and don’t waste your productive time worrying about it. You only have the same 24 hours a day that the competition does. Make the most of them! Don’t get caught rubbernecking on the road to success.