Why I’m Not Wasting Any More Time Comparing Myself

‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’

Former US president Theodore Roosevelt famously said this all the way back in the 20th century, yet here most of us still are today comparing ourselves.

I’ve become so used to comparing myself, I hardly even notice that I’m doing it. The list of things I compare is endless, but includes:

• How I eat
• How I dress
• My body
• My personality
• My job
• My successes
• My failures
• My relationships
• My social life
• How I spend my spare time

Do you catch my drift? Chances are, you do. But what good comes out of comparing ourselves? Ultimately, it leaves us feeling like crap, demotivated and with a bad regard for who we are.

We compare ourselves to our friends, our family, people we see online and people we don’t even know; ‘I wish I had a waist like her’, ‘I wish I was as confident as her’ or ‘I wish I had as much free time as they do.’

But why?! Except in rare circumstances, we have absolutely no idea what’s going on in their lives or in their head. Maybe the girl with the small waist wishes she had boobs like you. Maybe the confident girl is battling severe anxiety in her head. Maybe the person with all of the free time wishes they had structure and routine. What we’re comparing is our insecurities to what you perceive to be somebody else’s best qualities. It doesn’t add up. 

Some people say to only compare yourself to the person you were yesterday, but I don’t fully agree with that. Why should I compare today’s McDonald’s-eating-Amy to yesterday’s salad-eating-Amy? Nothing good comes from that either. 

However, there is a way that comparisons can be useful – and that’s if you turn them into something productive. If you’re constantly comparing yourself to the girl on Instagram – ask yourself why that is. Unless you’re Megan from Love Island, you’re pretty perfect just how you are. Turn that comparison into working on your confidence.

If you compare your list of achievements to somebody else’s and wish you had more that you were proud of – go create some damn more achievements for yourself!

I know it’s easier said than done, but what I’m trying to get across is that comparison will get you nowhere, but using your comparisons to improve yourself and your life in ways that are beneficial to you will.

I’m so done with comparing and feeling crap about myself, so I’m going to work on whatever makes me question myself and create a life I don’t need to compare. Who’s with me?