Better Than Who?
There is always going to be someone better or worse than you at a given pursuit. Someone is always going to learn faster or slower than you, be stronger or weaker than you, and work harder or slack off more than you. Even if you are at the top (or bottom) of your field now, give it a year or fifty and someone will overtake you. Therefore, it is useless to compare yourself to others, to justify your failures with “but they’re smarter than me,” and your successes with “but I work harder than them.” A healthy dose of friendly competition can be motivating, but the comparative mindset that so many of us operate with is damaging to our growth. You lose sight of your own journey and instead fight to stay ahead of everyone, leaving the validation of your worthiness to others who may not care.
This is not meant to be disheartening, but liberating. By asking yourself the right questions, you gain a clearer sense of your strengths and weaknesses, learn more from your mistakes, and better appreciate your accomplishments – you can supercharge your growth. So ask yourself: are you better than you were before?
