I had previously written a bit of my own experiences in defense of the lesser competitive, but after evaluating I realized I was still supporting competition. In my situation I don't really have many guitarists to work with, and to compete against them isn't exactly going to do anything for me since one solid sweep would do the trick. So for me to find the desire to get better I would need someone to compete against. I've found that competitive partner in myself. When I write things I try and do something more advanced or different the next time around and that's been going so well that I can't play anything I write up to tempo anymore. So, yeah, I would have to agree with the others, competition is the best way to go, who you compete with is up to you. Just make sure you're still having fun while you compete, though.