I was pointed in the direction of an incredible podcast recently by my friend, Matt Sandrini. In the podcast, Naval discusses his so-called secrets to getting rich. Really, it’s two hours of solid wisdom, life advice and personal development tips as they pertain to business.

Around halfway in, Naval gets asked about escaping competition. His answer?

“You can escape competition through authenticity, when you realize that no one can compete with you on being you.”

If you’re competing with somebody, you’re both shooting for the same position, and that competition will make you highly emotional, reactive and ineffective in business. How do you escape it? We might think that the only way to circumvent competition is to crush our opponent or to walk away. In reality, neither of those approaches will render effective.

Ask yourself: Why are you trying to reach the same position as them? How can you create your own position by being authentic? What skills can you exercise that they don’t possess?

Finding your unique angle is the key to escaping and overcoming competition. Don’t shoot for a spot that somebody else is trying to fit into. Create your own spot through authenticity and step right into it.

By the way, my new YouTube channel just went live! You can check it out here for weekly content about personal development, happiness and wellbeing.