Compete for Your Growth: You vs. You This Summer
Source: Unsplash (@Caroline Veronez)
Summer is often seen as a season filled with vacations, social media highlights, and pressure to pull your life together. Whether it's your dream internship, gym transformations, or the perfectly planned trip, it's easy to feel like you're falling behind. But what if this summer, you stopped competing with others… and just started competing with yourself? This summer, make it you vs. you! No competitions, no overthinking or inferiority, just meaningful personal growth at your own pace. In this article, let's discuss how to stop comparing and start achieving.
The Harm of Comparison
Firstly, it’s important to know that what you’re going through is completely normal. Don’t worry, comparison is natural — we all do it! However, in the long run, it's unfair to yourself and others, because the truth is, you would just be trying to equate two completely unique journeys. Studies show that when you compare yourself to others, you lower your self-esteem, create anxiety, lose sight of your personal journey, and are dissatisfied with your personal progress. The good news is you can totally free yourself from these distractions with a few tips and tricks to help you shift perspectives.
1. Begin Tracking Your Growth
Most of us admire the extraordinary self-growth journeys of those around us and the progress they’ve made, but fail to see our personal growth in the process. Take a moment to reflect on how you have improved this year! Think of the challenges you have overcome to get where you are and what you are proud of. Not every piece of growth needs to be a huge milestone; learn to be proud of the little things, even if no one else sees them. Studies show that starting a growth journal helps you chart your course with purpose and reflection. Log the personal breakthroughs and lessons that have aided your journey of self-discovery.
2. Set Personal Goals
It may be a bit cliché, but setting personal goals gives you something to continuously work towards. Instead of spending your time looking at what others are chasing, shift your focus back on you, and set goals that you are motivated to achieve! A notable way to set these goals is with the SMART method. SMART is a parameter that helps you set goals properly and sustainably, with each letter of the acronym standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, respectively. Give yourself a precise target that you can achieve in a given time frame, for example, a goal you can complete during this summer break. Make it something that you are determined to fulfill and set smaller steps to help you execute it. The progress you make isn’t about how fast you can complete your goal, but rather your pathway towards the right direction. Set a goal that aligns with your values and not others' expectations or society’s standards. This way, when you achieve your goal, you will be proud of your personal journey, giving you greater satisfaction with the outcome.
3. Celebrate Progress
We often don’t celebrate small milestones, as we think they are not valued. However, even the tiniest achievement is still evidence of progress. This summer, dedicate time to acknowledge your efforts, not just your outcomes. Whether you achieve your goals or not, you should be proud of the steps you took to fulfill them! Growth does not always have to be loud and visible to all; sometimes healing and peaceful discipline bring you one step closer to personal achievements.
This summer, prevent yourself from getting distracted by others. Turn your attention inwards. Compete to grow, rather than to prove a point to anyone else. Free yourself from the mindset of ‘falling behind’ because you are stepping forward. If you're asking yourself, “Am I better than others?” start asking yourself, “Am I better than the old me?” If your answer is yes, you are on a journey of personal growth. Stop competing with others, because the only competition you should care about is you vs. you.