stay ahead of (someone or something)

1. To remain physically in front of someone or something. Stay ahead of me on the road so I'll know when to turn. The driver managed to stay ahead of all the other cars during the race.

2. To maintain control of a situation by effectively working on or dealing with something before it increases to a problematic or burdensome size or impact. So many requests have been pouring in that I simply can't stay ahead of my emails. I've been getting all of our documents and reports in order so I can stay ahead of the audit next week.

3. To maintain an advantage over someone or something. We use our vast resources to ensure we have the best and most up-to-date information. That's how we stay ahead of all the other companies out there. You'll have to train every single day if you're going to stay ahead of the other competitors.