In business, when we suggest operating on the “creative plane” rather than on the “competitive plane”*…that doesn’t mean naively ignoring your competition.
Of course you have competition. To ignore that fact would be to ignore reality and place yourself at a great disadvantage.
Acknowledge your competitors, know their product line, know their competitive strengths and weaknesses, etc. Just don’t overthink and consume yourself with them.
Key Point: In other words, rather than *focusing* on your competition, *focus* on creating immense value for your customers.
In the end, that is what you are really selling.
Exercise: Put a yellow sticky note on your computer that says, “Create — Don’t Compete” as a constant reminder. In those rare times that you may fall into that trap (as we all do) you’ll see the “sticky” and get right back into “creation mode.”
*Credit to Wallace D. Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich (pub. 1910) for the concept of “creative plane vs. competitive plane.”
