I listened to a podcast a few weeks ago about exercising a competitive mindset in all aspects of life. The premise was, if you’re wise, the drive to compete will inform every single thing you do. And that it should be intense. Because if you don’t work hard enough to simply keep what you already have, someone else will come in, work harder, and take it. Your job, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your spouse, your car, your health, your fitness, your money, your vibe. Somebody out there wants every piece of your life, and they will compete with you to get it.

I don’t know. While I appreciate the push to work hard, a scarcity-focused mindset feels off to me. Selfish? Self-absorbed? Self-centered? Every man for himself, with little attention paid to helping others develop and succeed.

Putting that aside, though, I’m into the notion of actively choosing your life every. Single. Morning. My job, for instance. Working a corporate 9 to 5 can present a dangerously easy path toward complacency. To sneak in 10 minutes late in the morning. To push off a task until tomorrow.

But what if I told myself a story: “There’s this girl named Brenda. She wants your job. She’ll show up 5 minutes early. She’ll complete every assignment before deadline, and she’ll nail it.” Huh. Ok. What’s up, Brenda. I see you. And you aren’t stealing my job. I’m gonna make sure of it.

And you know, maybe there’s a balance. A place where competitive, self-focused energy meets a mindset of abundance—one that knows there’s enough out there for everyone to grow.