We all have a natural tendency to compare ourselves to others. Alice loves her job and I hate mine. Sally is further along in her career than I am. Joe just got a promotion and I haven’t gotten one in two years. You get the idea.
Comparing ourselves to others can be useful if it motivates us to achieve higher goals than we might not achieve otherwise. But most of the time these comparisons are a negative. Here’s why: To see your journey through someone else’s is confusing. If you are so focused on what others are doing, you’re not spending enough time and energy on what you’re doing. You can even go so far as to get off track with your goals and start following someone else’s. So when my clients go down this path, I tell them to mind their own beeswax.
A motivational CD from Abraham-Hicks Publications on Law of Attraction offers this example: Imagine you’re in the car with the GPS set to take you to San Francisco. As you start out, you and it both understand the direction. But suddenly the GPS adds everyone else’s route to get to San Francisco. That would be incredibly confusing to say the least! And this is basically what happens when you compare yourself to others. So don’t do it. Mind your own business instead.
Action step: When you find yourself comparing others ask yourself for each comparison: What am I comparing? Is this helpful or counter-productive?
Hallie Crawford is a certified career coach and founder of HallieCrawford.com. Her team of coaches helps people find their dream job and make it a reality. She is regularly featured as an expert in the media including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and US News & World Report. Visit her website at www.HallieCrawford.com for more information about her teams career coaching services and to sign up for a complimentary consultation.
