Competition is good. I love healthy, productive competition. Olympic athletes understand that in time trials it is easier to perform at your peak if you are physically running against a real person instead of just a clock. Competing helps us to stretch the limits that we tend to put upon ourselves.
If there is goal that you would like to achieve but have been struggling with, ask yourself if there is a way that you could create a healthy competition with friends or colleagues. Personally I love it when a colleague says to me, "My goal is to produce higher numbers than you this month!" Game on! Suddenly everyone gets caught up in a spirit of what is possible; the work becomes fun, people think out of the box. It's important to keep the competition healthy and professional, but there is no reason that it can't be fun. If things are getting stale get competitive!
Coco, I couldn't agree with you more about competition, it brings out the best in us. Thanks for reminding me that I may need to "challenge" some of my co workers! Good post!