I said it.

Theodore Roosevelt said it.

"Comparison is the thief of joy"

It's the truth. And often, no matter how content and confident you are in yourself and your business, that pesky comparative voice creeps in, just to remind you of how far you really haven't come.

When we start to compare ourselves to what others have achieved, or simply how they show up, we deflate ourselves and begin a negative cycle of demoralizing how far we have progressed.

With Social Media at the tips of our fingers and the forefront of the business movement, it has fundamentally changed the way people interact. Therefore, it's no surprise that we can find ourselves falling onto a competitors page and crying ourselves to sleep at night, seeing as we are spending on average more than 2 hours on SNSs per day! I joke, but the problem with comparison is that we end up trying to change our current selves to follow the path of others in the fruitless pursuit of perfection.

Here's the problem with this; when we try and change the route we're taking, we end up trying to change our identity at the same time and become too emotionally attached to things that we just can't have. Yes, comparison can motivate people to improve, but we often end up self sabotaging and feeling worthless within our lives and business world.

The self talk begins of;

• Am I even good enough?
• Will I even make money?
• Will people finally see through my mystical lies? (Hello imposter syndrome)
• Why am I not as good as X, Y & Z?

I'm all for removing those who don't inspire you, or who make you feel negative about yourself, from your Social Media feed, but you are never going to be rid of them, especially if you work within the same niche.

So how can you combat the dreaded comparison trap?

Picture this, you're scrolling through LinkedIn when suddenly, out of nowhere a good friend of yours gets the client of a lifetime, the one you could have only dreamed of. You're both the same age, work within the same industry and have been travelling along the same path. Why them?

As much as 10% of our thoughts are dominated by social comparison, so it comes as no surprise, however, it's not a pleasant emotion and you want to be happy for them.

First step:

You've realized you're triggered been trigger and it's not the first time, therefore it's time to take note of when these emotions come up for you and why you're feeling a particular way. Each emotion is valid, but if you want to progress in business, you're going to have to get a handle on them because it's a lonely place otherwise.

Second step:

You have come SO far from when you first started. Stop comparing yourself to everybody else's highlight reel and focus on your own strengths and gratitude.

I'll go first.

Today I'm grateful for; my health, my family, my team & my incredible clients.

What I like (or love) about myself in business; my ability to simplify Personal Branding so others are able to consume and create for themselves.

Third and final step;

Set boundaries, and strong ones. You don't need to spend hours upon hours scrolling, stay in your lane and find your flow. Focus on yourself and celebrate others successes. You're worthy of success just as much as the next person.

Comparison truly can be the thief of joy, but in business, the more we compare, the more we hold ourselves back from progressing to the next level. If we bog ourselves down with negative self-talk and quietly celebrating our wins in case of judgement, will we ever feel worthy of standing in our power?