So I used to have a big comparison problem. In anything I did, I set out to be like someone else. Whether it was my style, my athletic endeavors, school, anything… I was always trying to be like someone else. I would always get frustrated when the dress didn’t look as good on me or my hair didn’t fall like hers. I hated not being able to do things just like the person that I viewed as successful. 

I ended up being miserable and having a negative view about my capabilities because I was always trying to live up to what someone else was doing. I’ve since seen the light and avoid comparing at all costs, I’m just trying to run my own race and go after my goals. Let’s chat about the comparison trap and why you need to avoid it at all costs.

Comparison is the thief of joy. This is a tried and true quote that has become more popular especially with the prevalence of social media. I find that when I compare myself to others, I am left feeling uninspired and inadequate. It’s obvious why, I am comparing my unique self and what I produce to another unique human and what they produce. I can’t possibly feel adequate because we are working with different talents, personalities, styles, different everything really.

I always love hearing about older generations’ path to success. It’s the “built in the garage” mentality. When you think about Jeff Bezos or Walt Disney building something in their garage, you envision someone hunched over their work trying time and time again to make their vision, their dream, a reality. They weren’t going out of their way to see what other people were doing, they were focused on their vision.

Even Paul (the Apostle)  knew that comparison was detrimental to success. Check out this verse:

“Pay careful attention to your own work, then you will get satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else” Galatians 6:4 NLT

Pay attention to your own work, THEN you will get satisfaction of a job well done. If you’re feeling dissatisfaction in what you’re producing, it is likely directly related to the fact that you’re paying attention to the wrong thing. Do yourself a favor, keep your eyes on your own paper.

The most successful people aren’t worried about the competition because they’re too busy in the lab getting after their dreams. So do yourself a favor and keep your mind on your vision and your goals, after all that is our measure of success.