Do compare yourself to others

“Don’t compare yourself to others” is a terrible advice. We think comparing makes us competitive and miserable. Missing the fact that it can help us reach our goals and be happy. I’m not talking about comparing our boring day-to-days to someone else’s Instagram vacation highlights and thinking: “Life’s unfair” to ourselves. I’m talking about comparing ourselves to others strategically. Do it: - When you want to grow - When you want to be at peace - When you feel lost Speaking from experience: 1. Whenever I want to grow: - I compare myself to others who reached my goals. - Approach everything with less ego, more curiosity. - Find out how they are better and learn. (e.g., Accepting I’m dumb and reading every review and Discord chat when I was grinding OSCE3) 2. Whenever I want to be at peace: - I compare myself to others who have less. - Take a moment to appreciate what I have. - Find ways to give back. (e.g., Appreciating having clean water, fast Internet. And share my experience to people who are at where I started: no cert, no experience.) 3. Whenever I feel lost: - I compare myself to others who seem successful to others. - Ask myself: “Would I want to be that person?” - Either way, it brings me clarity on who I want to and not to be. (e.g., OSEE holders, people with big job titles, my boss, etc.) If you compare yourself to others mindlessly, it damages your self-esteem and makes you miserable. Because there is always someone doing better than you. But when you do it with intent, it can keep you humble and grateful. P.S. This post had been sitting in my draft folder for 2 years. Wrote it when I first started my last job, still 100% stand by it 2 years later.