We humans come with a built-in comparison functionality. From a young age, we are continually sussing out the people around us and measuring ourselves against them. Who’s taller, stronger, funnier, smarter, prettier, skinnier, more successful… seriously, it’s bloody exhausting, and seldom a positive habit.
And it doesn’t just happen in our personal lives. This need to compare flows through to our careers. We naturally look at other businesses or people in our industry and size up who’s more successful, more well-known, more sought-after, or whatever the insecurity of the day happens to be.
Why do we do this?
Well, let’s answer that very question now…
Why Comparing Your Business To Another Is A Waste Of Time
Cutting The Comparison Crap
While it is an important business strategy to be aware of what your competitors are up to, it can be challenging to draw a line between professional interest and obsessing about what someone else is doing in their corner.
We’ve all done it, many of us probably still do it unconsciously, but I’m here to say:
Cut the comparison crap!
This habit is a total waste of your time and energy.
If you find yourself feeling shit because someone else seems to be more successful than you (or smarter, prettier, funnier, more confident… <insert insecurity here>), you are in the wrong mindset and heading in all sorts of negative thinking directions.
Shifting The Focus
The first thing you need to remember – in business and your personal life – is this: when you obsessively compare yourself to someone else, the only person you’re impacting is yourself.
Your competition doesn’t give a crap if you are secretly stalking their Instagram. Hell, they may not even know you exist! The impact falls on you, and on the energy you are unproductively pouring into someone else’s life.
The only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself. As author Betty Jamie Chung so beautifully said:
“Comparison with myself brings improvement; comparison with others brings discontent.”
Time to turn that spotlight on yourself, babe. Put all that emotional energy where it belongs – in your lane!
Be Proud And Loud
Regardless of what anyone else is doing, they aren’t you. They will never be you, and that means you are the absolute best in your business.
The right consumers for you and your offerings are looking for the things that YOU and ONLY YOU offer.
It’s time to stop lurking on other people’s social media (yes, I know you do it!) and spend time interacting with and listening to your loyal clients. That way, you can get better at what it is that you do.
When you find yourself comparing your business to others, take a step back and look at how great you are. Whip your journal out and write down the things you do so well – the things your clients love about you.
When the time comes to cast your eye over the industry to see what other people are doing, do this strategically, with a growth and confidence mindset.
Be so captivated with what you are doing that you don’t have time to give a damn about what others are up to!
Sometimes it can be hard to shift your mindset and focus on your own achievements. If you need someone to help you do that, then why not book a time a have a chat with me?Take 30 minutes out of your day so that we can identify your blocks and help you push through them. Book a convenient time to chat by clicking here.
