Who you should be comparing yourself to
You’ve probably heard the Teddy Roosevelt quote “comparison is the thief of joy.” Oftentimes that’s true. But there is a kind of comparison that’s helpful. Read this post to find out who you should be comparing yourself to.
First, stop comparing yourself to other people!
We waste so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others when we don’t know their full story. We only know what they choose to share with us or post on social media.
We know what they want us to know.
We only hear about the problems the choose to tell us. We only see their homes looking picture perfect.
We don’t know their real life. We don’t know what’s keeping them up at night and stressing them out.
The truth is, it doesn’t matter. We don’t need to know the fine details of anyone else’s life.
But we do know everything about our own lives. We can see the full picture. And this can make our story seem worse than those we compare it to.
Comparing yourself to other people isn’t going to get you anywhere! Stop doing it.
Moving on….
Instead, start comparing yourself to… yourself!
Your former self, that is. Compare yourself to the person you used to be.
Look back on your own life. Look back at old pictures of your home and family. Look at old bank statements. Take a close look at the changes you’ve made in your life. Ask yourself:
- Have you improved from where you were 5 years ago? 2 years ago? Last year?
- Are you happier now?
- Are you healthier?
- Have you achieved the goals you’ve set for yourself?
Congratulate yourself if you can answer yes to these questions.
If you look back and aren’t happy with what you see, use that as motivation to make a change. Think about the things you can do so that in a year from now you can look back and like what you see.
Leave something for your future self to look back on next time you do this. Make a list of goals you want to accomplish over the next year or two. Put this in a place that you’ll remember. And then make this a habit year after year.
I guarantee, you’ll get a better result comparing yourself to yourself than comparing yourself to anyone else.
Want more? You may like:
The Importance of having Someone in your Corner
Emotional Debt: Feelings can help your Finances
How to Talk to your Friends about Money
3 Tips to cut your Electric Bill in Half
You can read more about my story here: A Spender and A Saver Fall in Love
Absolutely true. As women and especially as moms we often fall into the comparison trap. What we forget is that it’s not a competition. There are so many variables in life and we truly are the only ones that we can compare to. Keep moving forward and trying to be a better version of yourself.
I have always done weekly goals for myself but this year I decided on yearly goals too. It does help you keep on track and to remind yourself how your doing!
So very true! I love this.