Why you Need to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Do you have a habit of comparing yourself to others?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many of us can’t help but compare ourselves to others. It’s a habit that we need to intentionally phase out.
Comparing yourself to someone else, whether it’s a family member, a close friend or a celebrity, isn’t good for your mental wellbeing.
How you evaluate your own self-worth shouldn’t be determined by how you think you measure up against someone else. The same can be said for your success. It’s easy to look at someone who, in your opinion, has achieved greater success than you and compare how your own success stacks up against theirs.
It’s never a good idea to compare your life to someone else’s highlight reel. So, here’s why I think it’s time we all stopped comparing ourselves to everyone else and start focusing on our own ‘here and now.’
You’re comparing your work-in-progress to their final draft
My bedside table has a stack of books I keep meaning to read but for whatever reason, I don’t. However, there are a few classics that I keep going back to.
One of these books is ‘Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook,’ by Tony Robbins. With an estimated net worth of $500 million, Tony is arguably one of the most successful business strategists and entrepreneurs in the world.
By the time Tony was in his early 20s, he was a self-made millionaire. Obviously, that’s great news for him. But when you’re just starting out in business, Tony’s success and wealth can seem like an impossible goal to achieve. And, you start comparing your work-in-progress to his massive success and it’s pointless.
Yes, it’s great to pick up a book and feel inspired by what you find inside. But you’re not meant to compare yourself, or the success of your business to someone else’s.
To me, reading guru stories and implementing their advice in my own life and work is a detrimental part of my business strategy. I’m an ambitious person and there are things I definitely want to achieve. However, I try not to compare where I am now to someone like Tony Robbins, who is a master when it comes to maximizing his wealth and multiplying his millions.
Whether you’re guilty of comparing yourself to millionaires like Tony, or the business next door or an old friend, it’s not going to help you accomplish your own goals. It won’t do anything good for you at all. It’s nothing but a losing battle.
Comparing yourself to others steals your inner joy
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and I couldn’t agree more.
If you think about all the time you spend considering what others have done and comparing their success to your own, you can waste a lot of time. The problem worsens when you beat yourself up about it and question yourself as to why you’re not as successful as they are.
You wonder when you’re going to have that success for yourself and you end up thinking that what you’ve already got isn’t good enough. Constantly comparing cultivates negative emotions like low self-confidence, a damaged sense of self-worth and even depression.
So, my number one tip for you (and myself) is to focus on your own self-development. Know that where you are right now is where you’re meant to be.
You’re in the story portion of your success story. And, one day you’ll look back, and you’ll tell people the story of how you got there.
Social comparison is a waste of time
Success looks different to everyone. Some of you think success means having a huge house and the nicest clothes and expensive cars. Others think of success as nothing but an illusion. Something that so many strive to achieve and yet, so few actually grasp it.
Whatever success looks like to you, it’s up to you to keep going after it. Instead of comparing yourself to everyone else, redirect all that energy and time to accomplish your own goals.
Take Gary Vaynerchuk as an example. Back when he was on YouTube doing his Wine Library series, a lot of people thought he was crazy. They told him to give up because it wasn’t going anywhere. But he didn’t listen to them and we all know how that story goes.
Gary is a huge success because he didn’t give up. He didn’t compare himself to anyone else. He knew what he wanted, and he kept working and doing everything he could to achieve his goals.
So, my advice to you is to understand that first of all, social comparison is pointless. It’s nothing but an energy and joy drainer that won’t do you any favours. Instead of comparing yourself to others, know that where you are right now is where you’re meant to be.
Concentrate on your own journey because you are going to waste time and slow yourself down by constantly comparing and looking at what other people are doing. Focus on your own journey. Focus on your own path and stay on it!
Want to delegate more tasks and start making the most out of your time at work? We can help. Call me on 0161 820 6080 or email me at emma@mi-pa.co.uk.
If you want to find out more about our services and discover all the ways that we can help you to grow your business, click here. https://mi-pa.co.uk/services/
Thinking about getting your own PA Support to make sure you get more time to focus on the fun stuff…
You need to get yourself booked in for a 20 minute call with me, Emma Mills where you will discover how our award winning team at MiPA can help you…
- Free up you & your staff’s time
- Boost your productivity
- Improve your customer service
- Liberate yourself from constant distractions
I’d love to chat with you (even if it’s just for some free advice!)
So don’t be shy, just click below and book a free call with me whenever it suits you 🙂