Comparing Your Journey to Someone Else’s is the Root Cause of Self-Doubt

There are many times when we think what we are doing is not enough or not good enough according to the comparison we make with others. What we fail to realize is that not everyone is at the same point in their journey. Not everyone is in the same situation, not everyone faces the same challenges, and not everyone has the same dreams. Which is why staying focused on your own dreams becomes important.

The destination can be the same, yes, but the goals can be different. You and another person can want the same things but for totally different reasons. All these things considered, there is no point in comparing your journey to someone else’s. Other than doubt and negativity, it gives you nothing. If you look at someone, try to learn from their accomplishments rather than thinking how they already achieved something that you have wanted to.

Comparing your progress to others is you being unfair to yourself. You cannot compare your start to someone’s middle and come out happy from that thought. All it will do is take you down. When you start working at something that involves a huge risk, it is easy to look at everything with distrust, it is easy to compare, it is easy to judge. You have to try to think of ways to change your perspective during crises. You have to actively stop yourself from thinking about external things that are completely out of your control.

External roadblocks are easier to pinpoint, but the ones we create ourselves, our mental roadblocks, those are what stop us from succeeding. Living in denial about how you yourself are holding yourself back is not going to help. Instead of doing that, you need to recognize the signs that tell you that it is time to change your mindset for a better standing point.

The point is that not all negativity is external, and sometimes, out of fear, we become negative. Pessimistic thoughts talk over any enthusiasm you have for going about your work. As you work on building something, one of the main things to do is to learn how to say no to negativity. You can boycott negative people, turn away from negative influences, stop participating in negative discussions, but stopping the negativity in your mind is a bit difficult.

The most effective thing you can is to start journaling. Journaling gives you an opportunity to pour out your thoughts and then see what is bothering you. When all your worries and thoughts are out on paper, you will know what you need to focus on and what you need to change to help yourself. It is a form of self-therapy. Try it if you don’t want to talk to someone else.

Having a clear mind is important if you want to get your work done effectively. Mental exhaustion from worrying too much can negatively impact your productivity, that paired with the constant comparison with others is sure to cause your downfall. Along with journaling, start with positive affirmations. Include positive talk in your daily routine. Remind yourself that you can do it.

I cannot stress enough on self-care. When we start a new project, there are a lot of things that need to be worked on, and that has us busy. Being busy is required at this stage, I agree, but that isn’t reason enough to not take care of yourself. Being busy and taking care of your self are not mutually exclusive. It is all about priority.

Takeaway

There are a lot of things you will have to deal with. Doubts and questions are always going to be pouring in from the people you know. Do not be another addition to your headache. If you manage to keep your headspace clean, no matter what comes your way, you will be able to deal with anything. From time to time, take moments off to just reflect and simply relax.