Now that the winter Olympics have passed, it’s time for summer Olympians to start getting a little bit stressed. It’s just two and a half years until the Olympics in LA begin, and that means track sprinter, author of Sprinting Through Setbacks and Olympian Micha Powell is hard at work getting ready to compete for a spot on the team. That’s why we started the 1000 days until LA challenge back in October. It’s not just about her journey, though. We wanted readers and athletes to pick a big goal that’s far enough out that you have plenty of time to get there, but is still just close enough to keep you motivated. 1000 days seemed like a long time… at the time. But it’s already down to 836 days! Time flies, whether you’re having fun or not.
Throughout the countdown, Micha and I (her co-writer, Molly Hurford, founder of Strong Girl Publishing) have been reflecting on different pieces from her book, and thinking about how they relate to our goals. This particular block has been about defining yourself and stepping into your own spotlight.
But part of that process also means getting honest with how we compare ourselves to others, and what that says about ourselves. Now, here’s the cool part: Comparison doesn’t have to say something bad about you! It can actually be super useful information.
THIS MONTH'S PROMPT: MAKE COMPARISON WORK FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU
Make a list of a few people you often compare yourself to or wish you had their life.
From that list, write down what about those people makes you compare yourself to them.
What do you wish you had that they have?
What do you think they had to do to get to where they are?
Is the process to get to where they are something that you would actually want to try?
If you notice that there are a few different people who make you feel this way, it can be really helpful to make this same list for all of them—you’ll start to notice commonalities and differences.
For a non-sport example, I’m someone who envies both really amazing home tours and cool office setups, but also have a deep love of #vanlife. Doing my comparison lists, it helps me see that the commonalities are clean, well-organized spaces.
A sportier example would be the fact that I love following cyclists on Instagram and I’m often feeling really jealous of all of their on-bike adventures, and think they look super cool. I haven’t been riding much in recent years as I focus on ultra-running, but the fact that I’m still looking at cyclists, and not at trail runners, and feeling envious is a good sign that while I love ultra-running, I probably need to infuse more cycling adventure into my life.
But remember to get honest about what it likely takes for the person who’s posting. What does the behind the scenes look like? (I can tell you that in the #vanlife example, it’s almost impossible to keep things as clean and perfect as the videos that they post would lead you to believe… and there’s nothing particularly glamorous about brushing your teeth in a rest area bathroom.)
It’s important to use those comparison feelings as information—get curious about them! But keep in mind that the thing you’re comparing yourself to is a highlight reel, not the day to day boring/less fun stuff. Sometimes making this list actually shows you that you don't really want their life, you just like how it looks on Instagram... but sometimes it actually helps you see what goals really matter to you!
Now that you know what exactly you’re envious of or comparing yourself to, you can make a plan to work towards achieving that goal for yourself. Don’t skip this last step: Even if you pick one tiny thing to add to your daily or weekly routine, it can make a big difference!
Want more prompts like this? Make sure you get Micha’s book here!
