Many times you must have compared yourself to others.
So, you write this first blog post of yours….compare it with someone’s 100th blog post…. and feel bad about your blog post not being that great.
Or you give a speech, the first time in your life… and then you watch Paul Robinson speak… then all you have to say is “I am not as great.”
Or you write your first ever book, go through some established author’s 14th book and then feel your book is not that good.
Do you even realize whom you are comparing yourself to?
You are just a beginner and the people whom you are comparing yourself to, are veterans. They have come a long way from where you are right now.
It is a rat race out there. Everyone wants to be up there at one go. However, that is not usually possible.
Give it some time…. Keep practicing till you are perfect… You will be up there some day.
Don’t get caught up in the journey of someone else’s. It will start consuming you. Instead, focus on your journey. You will start seeing excellent results.
You can take your inspiration and guidance from others; but you can’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. It is just not fair.
The people you are comparing yourself to did start their journey at some point in their lives. However, they have passed through that stage and come a long way ahead. They are in the middle of their journey now and you are just at the beginning.
It is not just people; it is the same with Brands too.
Every big brand was once a small business. It was a one-man or a two man show with the same kind of backstage mayhem.
As a small business owner you may be struggling to juggle everything. You may be slaving away with those bags under your eyes. Right now it may all seem like a dream; but it won’t be for long.
You are not the only one here. It is every entrepreneur’s story before their businesses turned into large international brands.
Many brands try to mislead others through social media. They all look glowing and amazing. They always portray themselves in an inspirational way. What they don’t show is how hard they have worked to get there…. What kind of risks they have taken to be where they are now…. What kind of fires they have had to put out on a constant basis. It is not considered cool to show all that. Nevertheless, this is reality, which you don’t see on Instagram or Facebook.
So, if you are trying to compare yourself with other entrepreneurs based on their Instagram posts or Facebook pages, you are about to go into a slippery slope. Remember – you are just starting out.
You have a long way to reach there; but the situation you are in right now is much more amazing. You are for sure going to miss these days once you are up there.
You will miss the struggles…. The firsts… the fire…. The early wins… the losses…the hunger… the late nights…. Those brick walls that made you so strong… Just about everything about what you are going through right now.
While this is true, what you are about to experience is going to be absolutely amazing. The best part is that it is going to get better and better by the day.
So, just forget about everything else and focus on your ‘right now.’ It is only one chance that you will get in this ‘right now’; so make the most out of it.
Yes, it is great to see successful people and envy them. But take one moment and reflect on your life. See what you have achieved and where you are today. Determine where you want to be and check out what you need to learn to get there. Work on improving your patience and experiencing peace so that you get to keep pace with your success.
These are a few things you need to keep in mind, before you close this window and get back to whatever you were doing before this:
Comparing yourself to accomplished people is a losing battle
There may be many successful people you may want to compare yourself or your accomplishments to. However, you will only see yourself at the losing side. Do it if you don’t mind falling into that endless rabbit hole, because there will always be someone who is better than you.
Be Yourself; Not a Replica of Someone Else
Every individual is special and unique. Even genetic twins who are absolutely identical to each other can have different personalities. The situations in their lives, the kind of challenges that they face, their strengths, their weaknesses, their talents, their abilities and skills – are all different from yours. So, how can you then think that you will be able to achieve the same things that they have achieved in their lives and that too at the same time? You can’t. So start seeing each person, including you, as separate and unique individuals.
Carve out your own Road Map to Success
Your goals and objectives are different from others. Hence it doesn’t make it feasible to reach high up there by following someone else’s footsteps. You will need to create your own career development plan and shape your own destiny according to your objectives and goals. Start achieving your milestones one by one at a pace that seems comfortable for you. Be proud of your achievements, irrespective of how big or small they are. You are unique; celebrate your uniqueness.
Acknowledge the accomplishments of others
Try not to feel jealous when a co-worker, a friend or even a family member achieves something. Be a part of their achievement, share their excitement, feel genuinely happy for them and offer a few words of encouragement. Similarly, if you have accomplished something at your job, do share your feeling with others.
“Don’t compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to the person you were, yesterday.”