The only person you should comparing yourself to is yourself from yesterday or last week or year.
You have the power to change each and every day. If there was something about yesterday that you did that is not sitting right with you, well you can change it. You are not set in stone.
Simple things like staying up too late and you find you are tired and exhausted all day. Then you can change it today and plan ahead to have things done earlier. How about setting a goal of getting to bed 10 or 15 minutes earlier than yesterday and see how that goes.
We are creatures of habit and routines. Work towards your goal of going to bed earlier at a slower pace. Maybe starting a new night time routine could help.
How do you know what their life is really like?
If there is someone you are comparing yourself to you may think they are so perfect and have everything worked out. They may seem organised, successful, they seem happy and in control of their lives.
Looking at people on social media is just exhausting. They are spending so much time staging that one photo, that one image or the short video. They are directing it or having it directed and narrated in a way that portrays that image they need. Could they be living in the moment or even enjoying this level of fake.
How do we know if every other part of that house is a mess other than that one angle they show in the photo?
How do we know they only eat the food they are promoting, or using the products they promote?
That is the thing, we don’t know. What works for someone may not work for someone else.
You may see the neighbour who has the absolute perfect garden and manicured lawns. You glance across yours and sigh as you look at your own overgrown patch.
Maybe their house is not that tidy inside, or if they appear to have the show home and there is a place for everything. Are they and their family happy living in their home? They may be so stressed out trying to maintain that show house appearance that they don’t even relax at home. What exactly are your comparing yourself to?
Don't compare your home to other homes
I don’t know about you but I want to be able to live in my home. It should be a home and not a show house. That can be kept for when you are selling your home and having to stage it.
Every day life is messy and unpredictable. Life is not planned down to the minute detail.
The beauty of life is that we are all different, that is what makes people amazing.
Even siblings raised in the same family unit are different. They have different tastes or characteristics.
Comparing yourself to others makes you feel inadequate
You may know someone in your circle who is so organised and particular in their ways and has the air of I can do everything. They constantly talk themselves up and brag about all the things they are doing and achieving.
I also guarantee that yes if you are in their home things look immaculate and everything seems to be in their place.
And then you will find something that just doesn’t fit. You may not realise what it is at that moment.
They may think they are perfect and clean and yet they walk into the house with their outside shoes on and that makes you stop and think. “Oh no I couldn’t do that!”
They may only wash their coffee cup once in the day and you after every cup of coffee.
They may only change the tea towels once a week and you do every day.
No one person can do everything
There is not enough time in the day for one person to do it all and be perfect in every way. They are doing things in their life and in their way that suit them and match their level of cleanliness or efficiency. All of us have different priorities. Some may clean the bathroom daily and others once a week. Some may vacuum daily and others every other day.
Maybe it is organising and you find out they never pay their bills on time, or they are in debt and just paying off interest. They seem to show off that their life is perfect and you are boring in that you don’t have a flashy new car, or new phone or 4 holidays a year, but you are living within your means. You don’t have debts or only have the mortgage which you are nearly finished paying.
You are happy and content in your life and could not imagine a life of that huge debt hanging over your head.
Why compare yourself to anyone else? No one is living your life, only you are.
Stop and think about yourself
Think about all that you have achieved in your life so far.
This is not about judging anyone else. We should really stop doing that. Judging ourselves and keeping ourselves accountable for our own actions is what I am writing about. This is not about putting other people down. We don’t need to offend others, just noticing that no one is perfect and no one person can do everything is empowering in itself.
That is what it is all about. Think about the things that have happened to you
Can you do something in your life to help you reach your goals or simplify your life?
Can you do something today that can help your day tomorrow or next week?
Thinking about yourself now and where you would like to be and how that makes you feel.
What would make you happy and aim for that.
What do you need to do to achieve that?
Of course we have families and may have responsibilities to other people and it is all about finding out what you and your family are aiming for. Tying in what life you want to lead with your family in mind.
How you can achieve your own goals and support, encourage and motivate the others to achieve theirs. Who says goals can’t be shared. Maybe as a family you are saving up for that one holiday in a lifetime.
Compare yourself to that version of you and improve your own life
True happiness comes from within.
You may find yourself so happy and content in your life you don’t need the approval of others. You are just enjoying the here and now and find yourself with the time and energy to help others or volunteer for others who have not found their goal yet.
Life is a journey and the journey can be fun as well. We all have enough stress in our lives as it is. Having the time to enjoy the here and now is what it is all about.
Stop comparing yourself to others and start living your own life
Looking for some quotes to inspire you stop comparing yourself to others check out the list here.
