--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot build a company or manage a…" description: "\"You cannot build a company or manage a life by chasing others; you have to find your success competing against yourself. There will always be a bigger ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/michael-gerber-3751_business_you-cannot-build-a-company-or-manage-a-l_3039053.png" --- # You cannot build a company or manage a life by chasing… ![“You cannot build a company or manage a life by chasing others; you have to find your success competing against yourself. There will always be a bigger fish.” quote by Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/michael-gerber-3751_business_you-cannot-build-a-company-or-manage-a-l_3039053.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/michael-gerber-3751_business_you-cannot-build-a-company-or-manage-a-l_3039053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/michael-gerber-3751_business_you-cannot-build-a-company-or-manage-a-l_3039053.png) > “You cannot build a company or manage a life by chasing others; you have to find your success competing against yourself. There will always be a bigger fish.” [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success comes from competing with yourself, not others; larger challenges always exist. **In simple terms:** Compete with yourself, not others. Key Takeaway Focus on personal growth. Themes self‑improvement competition entrepreneurship Mood motivational strategic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - business planning - personal fitness - skill development Key Concepts psychology goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What personal metrics guide you? - How do you handle larger “fish”? A Different Perspective External competition can be motivating; balance needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Chasing success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing-success/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Competing Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing-bigger-842034/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-chasing-290984/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-competing-5001047/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [A group of amazingly high achievers can be brought together and play together, and all believe that they are competing for something bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/a-group-of-amazingly-high-achievers-can-be-brought-together-and-play/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [In wrestling, I was always competing against bigger guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cain-velasquez/in-wrestling-i-was-always-competing-against-bigger-guys/) [Cain Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cain-velasquez/) > [Not chasing success, I want to focus on my process. If I do that, eventually everything gets sorted out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasprit-bumrah/not-chasing-success-i-want-to-focus-on-my-process-if-i-do-that/) [Jasprit Bumrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasprit-bumrah/) > [Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/stop-chasing-the-money-and-start-chasing-the-passion/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [If you genuinely want something, don't wait for it -- teach yourself to be impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurbaksh-chahal/if-you-genuinely-want-something-don-t-wait-for-it-teach-yourself-to/) [Gurbaksh Chahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurbaksh-chahal/) > [I think a lot of people feel like they still have something to prove, because when you get in and you're chasing success, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/i-think-a-lot-of-people-feel-like-they-still-have-something-to-prove/) [Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/) > [I think that the entertainment industry itself has a history of chasing success. 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We've confused one for the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-human-being-is-searching-for-a-deep-sense-of-meaning-and-yet-we/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More by Michael Gerber > [The more Strategic Work you do, the more effective, productive, and joyful the Tactical Work becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/the-more-strategic-work-you-do-the-more-effective-productive-and/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [If you haven't created the time as an owner to understand why people are choosing your model over your competition, then you are only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/if-you-haven-t-created-the-time-as-an-owner-to-understand-why-people/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [I've said it for four decades - work 'on' your business, not just 'in' your business!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/i-ve-said-it-for-four-decades-work-on-your-business-not-just-in-your/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [If you expect to grow your business, you need to be plotting out your schedules days in advance. 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They recognize the experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/when-i-say-doin-it-doin-it-doin-it-to-a-group-of-small-business/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [“The natural tendency of man is to remain unconscious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/the-natural-tendency-of-man-is-to-remain-unconscious/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [There are three things that can be organized: time, space, and work. 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