How to Escape The Comparison Trap

Are you trapped in constant comparison? You see others ahead of you—more organised, busier, richer, and the list goes on. Measuring yourself against others will leave you feeling stressed and stuck.
Comparing yourself will halt your progress and cause you to procrastinate, preventing you from building your thriving holistic business.

If you recognise this in yourself, stop! There's no point in comparing yourself to others, especially when you don't know their full story. And yes, we all do it, but it is a sure-fire way to feel bad about yourself and your situation.

Recognise You’re Making Assumptions

Ultimately, you make assumptions and compare yourself to others’ best bits. These are the edited versions of their life and business, not their reality.

You don't know their full story; you're believing the assumptions you've made. You don’t see what they’ve gone through to achieve what they’re doing, or the work they put in.

Most of the time, the people or businesses we compare ourselves to are years ahead of us. They would have gone through the learning process and the mistakes to be where they are.

Why would your starting point look the same as someone who has been working for 10 years? They had to start somewhere, and that’s exactly what you need to do – get started.

This has happened to me on more occasions than I want to admit, and it was a huge problem for me at the start of my career. There was a time when I believed that I couldn’t write—well, anything worth reading. Working in marketing meant I spent a lot of time with proofreaders and copywriters, and I found myself comparing my meager skills with their well-honed ones. With practice, I’ve improved my writing and with that, my confidence has grown, and I’ve even written a book—who’d have thought it?

How to Escape the Comparison Trap

Be Aware of Your Comparison Traps

Recognise where you’re staying stuck by comparing yourself to others. Become aware of the stories you tell yourself and do a reality check to understand what’s really going on here.

Look at who you’re comparing yourself with and think of them as an example of what’s possible - use them as inspiration to keep you motivated.

If you need help, check out my blog and podcast on creating a thriving mindset.

Unsubscribe and Unfollow

Go through your emails and delete and unsubscribe from those lists that aren’t serving you. Do the same with your social media accounts—disconnect from anyone that you're measuring yourself against in an unhelpful way.

These are the people you compare your business to, leaving you feeling like a failure or anything else unhelpful. This is very different from reading emails from people who inspire and support you.

Focus Your Efforts

Review your vision for your business and your goals and make a commitment to yourself about what you want to achieve. Write it down and display it where you can see it to remind and reinforce what you want. Or even better, tell someone who will help to keep you accountable.

Identify your priority project that will move you towards your goal and focus on it. Don't try to do everything at once. Create a simple plan of action and focus on taking your first step toward what you want to do.

Each time you complete a step, celebrate it no matter how big or small. This will help you to stay motivated and on track.

Check out this blog post on how to prioritise your projects.

Work on Your Mindset

Work to build your confidence in the areas where you compare yourself. Incorporate reflection and gratitude into your daily routine, recognising your achievements and progress. A great way to do this is by journaling as it will give you something to look back on.

Make friends with yourself and get comfortable with your quirks. Identify anything specific that you unfairly compare to others and recognise it’s you who’s being sensitive; others are unlikely to even notice.

When I did my first podcast series, I hated the sound of my voice and I had an inability to pronounce certain words (much to the delight of Claire, my podcasting partner). At first, I was very sensitive to this, constantly comparing myself to my more articulate partner. But as time went on, I learned to accept this quirk and laugh about it too. It didn’t stop us from getting thousands of downloads and attracting clients to our door.

Surround Yourself with Supportive People

Surround yourself with people that reinforce what you want to achieve. Keep the company of like-minded people who will support you and help you thrive. A great way to do this is to get a business buddy, join a mastermind group, or get a coach-mentor like me to support you.

Check out this blog post for ideas on where to find a great support network.

Conclusion

Breaking free from the comparison trap is essential for your growth and success as a holistic practitioner. By recognising your assumptions, distancing yourself from unhelpful influences, focusing your efforts, and nurturing a positive mindset, you can create a thriving business. Surround yourself with supportive people and remember to celebrate your progress, no matter how small.

If you're struggling, let’s have a chat and I will help you get clear about your best next steps and point you in the right direction for the support you need.