In the business world (and the world in general), there's an emphasis on improving your negotiation skills. Books, courses, lectures, etc., all drive home the idea that negotiation is of the utmost importance; "In Business as in Life -- You Don't Get What You Deserve, You Get What You Negotiate".

If you've digested any of this, you've likely come across the concept of BATNA, which is the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. Knowing your BATNA is a crucial step to any successful negotiation, etc. However, I think more attention should be given to increasing the number of your alternatives, rather than simply focusing on negotiation.

It should not be too hard to see, therefore, that if you increase your alternatives and give yourself optionality, negotiation will become obsolete, or at least less important. And likely, the outcomes will be better than those which were negotiated. A clear example would be in negotiating salary (which is the typical example in negotiation playbooks). The best negotiator in the world with one offer, will underperform a mediocre (or even poor) negotiator with 10 offers.

This is simply a manifestation of the rules of competition (more options drive better outcomes) and a reminder to re-evaluate where you put your energy. Go spend it on collecting alternatives.