Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for disaster.

Nick McGowan
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

In today’s world of unlimited information and social media at our fingertips it can be very easy to feel like we’re not enough or not doing enough with our lives.

When I fall into this trap I have to consciously work to pull myself out of it. I’ll see someone post something on social media and think “I need to post more”, or I’ll hear about someone’s success with their business and think “I need to be more successful”.

It just never seems to end when all we’re doing is comparing ourselves to other people.

I’m sure we all understand the concept of “WE are the masters of our own journey” and everyone’s journey is vastly different. But looking left and right to compare ourselves just seems to happen so easily and I believe it is greatly hurting our ability to lean in to our own lives and focus on what really matters in life.

It’s almost like being an out of control driver not paying attention to where you’re going, spinning in circles and at some point… going to smack into something.

So.. the concept of NOT comparing ourselves to others is nice and all but understanding something conceptually is one thing.


Solidifying that concept in your mind and living life through that concept is something completely different.


Now, please don’t read this and think that I’m saying “change your mind and stop focusing on other people and all your problems will be gone” we’ve heard stuff like this before and words without comprehension and action is simply bullshitting ourselves into believing we’ve made a change when we really haven’t.

As I stated earlier, this is a battle I fight. I win some of these battles and some battles brutally kick my ass, however I know that I’m doing this to myself these moments take me away from my work, family, spirituality, health, etc… . And it’s all because of some bullshit thought that I’m not “doing or being enough”.

When I feel I’m comparing myself to others or beating myself up about not being as good as someone else or doing what others are doing I do my best to remember that this is “MY PATH… NOT THEIR’S” and I’m getting better and better every day.

Something that helps me in times like this is focusing on daily improvement and being patient enough to take one step at a time.

Or, as Tony Robbins puts it, C.A.N.I. “Constant And Never-ending Improvement.”

If we’re getting a little bit better every day and growing every day to be better than we were yesterday then we’re succeeding.

Though it’s not always easy, I know it’s far more worth it than living life comparing ourselves to others, hating what we do and not designing a life worth living.

Focus on being better than the person you were yesterday and stop looking around at what others have done. It doesn’t matter and shouldn’t be a part of your vision.

I thank God for the faith to push on in times like these, wisdom from previous experiences and the understanding to see that this is my life and no one else’s. I challenge both of us to be just a little better today than we were yesterday and in those times when comparisons creep back into your life you now have something to lean on.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Keepin it real!

Nick McGowan

Nick McGowan

Written by

Sales & Marketing Specialist / Husband / Geek

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