“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.”

The world nowadays is hyperconnected and it always feels like everyone is racing to move ahead to fulfil their dreams like taking a good vacay, promotions, awards etc. Most importantly, it is becoming more important as most people post it on social media. Social media and corporate life always keeps on reminding everyone of what others are achieving. And between applauding others and pushing ourselves, a quiet and dangerous feeling creeps in which is known as Comparison.

We always keep on measuring our worth by someone’s milestones. We always question our pace, our choices and our success and start running their race and in the process end up losing sight of our lane.

But the truth is that real growth never comes from running faster than others. It comes from staying grounded in our own lane and by trusting our pace and most importantly finding peace and satisfaction in our own journey.

Let’s talk about how comparison slowly drains one’s motivation and how envy and jealousy distorts our work and mindset. And how can we shift from competing with others to grow within ourselves.

The Subtle Trap of Comparison

Comparison very quietly sweeps in rather than coming loudly. It mostly whispers and says “Hello! I am in your mind now”. When a colleague gets a new title and we wonder “Why not me?” or when a LinkedIn post of a peer goes viral and we start thinking “Maybe I also should post like that”. It all starts with the inspiration but if it is left unchecked, it turns into insecurity.

Now the major thing to keep in mind is that comparison kills joy. It can easily shift our focus from growth to judgment, from purpose to performance and from collaboration to competition. And that is where real damage happens. Because the moment we start measuring ourselves with others, we lose the clarity of our own journey.

How Envy and Jealousy Impact Your Work

To envy someone or be jealous of someone may seem like a very small emotion, but they slowly eat away at your confidence and creativity. When we are envious, our mind focuses more on what others are doing right rather than what we could be doing better. We start working towards matching others and stop mastering our own craft. These feelings can literally drain our motivation, mould our perspective and make collaboration harder. This happens because we start resenting people rather than learning from them. With time, that bitterness makes our spark dull and our growth becomes limited eventually. The truth behind it is, the energy we spend envying someone’s journey or growth, that energy we could be using on ourselves to transform ourselves.

Healthy Competition vs. Comparison

Competition is powerful in itself, it is not bad at all. Healthy competition always helps us evolve and sharpen our skills and strive for excellence. But when comparison comes in between, that becomes a competition without any direction. The truth is that when we compete with others, our goal keeps shifting away and never is in our favor. But when we compete with ourselves, our growth becomes measurable, meaningful and deeply fulfilling.

Hence, always ask yourself:

• Am I competing to prove myself or to improve myself?
• Am I running faster or just running aimlessly?

Both these questions can give a person a larger perspective as to how he/she is moving ahead. In a wrong way or in the right direction. The answer defines whether our ambition empowers us or exhausts us.

Staying Grounded in Your Own Lane

What does competing without comparing truly mean? It is not about ignoring what others are doing, but about losing ourselves in the process. It is about building resilience of being in our own lane with knowing that every journey has its own timeline. Here is how we can practise it:

1. Redefine Success

Success is not a single formula. For some, it’s leadership. For others, it’s balance, peace, or freedom. Define what success looks like for you. Once that’s clear, someone else’s achievement won’t threaten yours.

2. Celebrate Others Authentically

When you genuinely celebrate someone’s win, you free yourself from envy. Their success doesn’t reduce your potential, it proves what’s possible.

3. Track Your Own Growth

Keep a “growth journal.” Write down how far you’ve come, not just in titles, but in patience, confidence, and consistency. Your progress, when compared only to yourself, is the truest form of motivation.

4. Protect Your Mindspace

Be mindful of what you consume. If certain platforms or people constantly trigger self-doubt, step back. Your peace is more important than staying “updated.”

5. Remember, Timing Is Personal

Everyone blooms differently. Some at 25, some at 45. Trust your season. The wait doesn’t mean you’re behind,  it means your roots are growing deeper.

The Freedom of Focusing on You

When we stop comparing, we begin connecting with our goals, our values, and our story. We start showing up with purpose and not pressure. We create work that feels real and not imitative. And that realness becomes our biggest competitive edge. One should always remember, no one can be like the way we are. And this is our superpower.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ accomplishments drown out the music of your own progress.”

So we should keep running at our pace and not even slightly faster but we should run truer. Should stay grounded and grateful with whatever life has bestowed upon us. And should always remember, real success is not about being ahead of others but about being aligned with ourselves.

Because the goal isn’t to win every race, it’s to make sure you’re running the one that truly belongs to you.