Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy – an inspiring book I read last year. Some recent conversations found me re-recommending it. It centres around the idea that your environment pays a more significant role than willpower when it comes to achieving a specific goal; or simply, ‘getting work done’. It’s based on the (evidentiary supported) theory that willpower is finite and shouldn’t be relied on, and instead encourages us to set up our lives in such a way that makes working towards a specific goal the easiest available option. Essentially, it provides tactics for more efficient working. Among the ideas presented, one that stuck with me was, as Hardy writes, that “competition is actually a powerful form of collaboration.” I had never before considered this.
“Competition is actually a powerful form of collaboration.”
-Benjamin Hardy
Indeed, we might not think of our competition as collaboration, but who we CHOOSE to compete with is important. If you race a 100-meter sprint with some unfit pals, you would be more likely to win first place, but with a slower personal finishing time than if you ran against world class sprinters. Despite a stronger likelihood of finishing last against athletes, your personal time would be faster. (In theory.) Hardy suggests competing at the level you want to perform at – compete above your weight class, with those whose work you respect, in order to grow and learn faster.
And with that, if you are committed to growth, choose your competition wisely.
