The mental move that makes comparison impossible

For years, I measured myself against everyone around me.

If someone was younger than me and earning more than me, I’d feel stupid and inadequate.

Every milestone someone else hit felt like evidence I was falling behind.

Others’ success stories showed me how I’d screwed up.

I felt a lot of anxiety in those days. I’d built my sense of progress around what other people were doing.

Eventually, I looked at my work through a cleaner lens. I understood that my path and everyone else’s were never running parallel to begin with.

We weren’t in the same race. We weren’t even on the same track.

Once you see this, comparison becomes irrelevant and no longer makes any sense.

You can’t compare two journeys that have completely different starting points, obstacles, personalities and destinations.

I was never ahead of or behind anyone. I was and still am somewhere entirely different.

My wins can never be the same as theirs because I’m not trying to reach the same place.

When I stopped measuring myself against others, I could finally see what I’m actually building.