This is something of a trick question, because we all know that comparison is comparing one thing to another. In terms of what we’re discussing here, it’s comparing what you do and what you are capable of doing to someone else.
Life throws everyone curveballs. For some people it’s illness, for other people it’s childbirth, for some people it’s a new job…
The list could go on.
These changes to routine can be a tough pill to swallow. From experience, when you have a newborn baby around your life suddenly starts to run on their schedule whether it’s the middle of the night or the middle of the day! I went from being able to get up when I wanted, eat whenever I wanted and train whenever I wanted to putting all of that on the back burner.
It took a couple of months of trying to keep doing what I was doing before it clicked – if I didn’t give myself any leeway on things I was going to just run myself into the ground.
Comparing ourselves to previous versions of ourselves (at a completely different time of life) or to other people via the power of social media is a dangerous game to play – it can feel like no matter what we do it’s not good enough, not fast enough, not heavy enough, not healthy enough…
Comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt
When you give yourself a bit of a break things can become so much more gratifying. During lockdown earlier this year, I learned very quickly that my time to exercise was going to be in the garage when the little man was asleep. Instead of fighting against it I accepted that the start time was going to be pretty fluid and how long the session lasted was going to be dictated by someone else! It meant that I enjoyed what I was doing more and stressed myself out less. Everything became simpler and less stressful. I didn’t look at what other people were doing and try to copy them – they weren’t doing what I was doing so how could I expect to do what they were doing?
Since March virtually everyone has moved into a new stage of life – it could be working from home, it could be dealing with more life stress than ever before. If our work, life and stress habits have changed then it makes sense to also flex our food and workout habits. We’re not saying give up on making sensible choices with food and stop exercising, instead we’re saying make sensible choices when you can and make sure you keep some time aside for your exercise but don’t expect to be where you were in February (yet) and definitely stop comparing yourself to what your gym buddies are doing.
If you’re stressed out and run ragged at home and at work then it probably isn’t the right time to be trying to add 20kg to your squat or get shredded. Maybe it’s time to focus on smaller goals like getting some sort of workout in 4-5 days a week even if they’re 10 minutes long. Maybe you want to be in the gym 5 days a week but your schedule only gives you 3 slots per week – focus on them rather than the times you’re not getting! Maybe you want to dial your nutrition in 100% but now’s actually the time to accept that 80% is going to be good enough to keep you going and you’ll be able to pick things up in future.
Comparison truly is the thief of joy and if you spend your time now comparing yourself to others then you won’t enjoy much of anything that you’re doing and that’s a dangerous place to be. If you want help to start setting goals and moving forwards focusing on yourself then get in touch with us today and book a FREE No Sweat Intro.