I think comparison gets a bad rap. And I think it’s because we’re thinking about comparison all wrong.The problem most of us have with comparison isn’t really about comparison at all. Without comparison we literally can’t know what better looks like. Our problem with comparison lies in what we compare ourselves to. And why.We’ve convinced ourselves that, “comparison is the thief of joy,” but in reality comparing ourselves to the wrong things, for the wrong reasons, is the true thief of joy.When we compare outcomes like financial success, popularity, and professional accolades we make ourselves miserable. We become envious, bitter, and turn ourselves into victims when we focus on all the things they have that we don’t.But what if you compared habits instead?What if you looked at all the people who have the best outcomes (as you define them) and compared your habits to theirs?What if instead of saying, “I need to be as good as they are at X,” you said, “I need to be as good as I can be at X and they are modeling the habits that will help me maximize my potential.”You stop trying to become them, and simply adopt their best habits.Comparison doesn’t have to be an exercise in self-flagellation. It can be a hopeful exercise to help you identify how you can intentionally lean into your potential by copying someone else’s homework.TRY THIS:Identify a leader who is getting the results you’d like to get, and brainstorm what you see them doing differently than you. Bonus points for reaching out to them for a candid conversation. My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets
