How to Get Out of the Comparison Trap

This article comes from Entrepreneur.

How to Get Out of the Comparison Trap

The good news is, you can break free from this destructive cycle by taking small steps every day to grow and retrain your brain to view life through a different lens; to focus less on the bad and more on the good in your life. Here are four steps to help put a stop to comparisonitis and begin leading a life and career of true fulfillment.

1. Become aware of your triggers, especially social media.

Awareness is key to breaking the habit of comparing yourself to others. One of the biggest playgrounds for comparison is social media, which you’re likely using as a distraction from focusing on the true trigger of your comparisonitis. Begin to notice whether you reach for your phone because you’re feeling lonely or bored. Are you avoiding that tough conversation with a loved one? Social-media engagement can be your best friend when growing your business and connecting with your community, or it can become your worst enemy, leaving you to feel worse about yourself. It’s all about how you use it.

2. Stay in your zone of genius.

You can’t compare your day one to someone else’s, and you can’t compare your weaknesses to someone’s strengths. I wouldn’t want to measure my cooking abilities against a Michelin Star winner or my weightlifting skills against those of an Olympic athlete, and you shouldn’t either. Keep your focus on your very own zone of genius. Find the specific aspects of your business and experience that really make you shine, then focus on making those one percent better every day. We all have our own special gifts and natural talents. The key is to understand your own uniqueness and find support for, or delegate, the other parts.

3. Take action, even if it isn’t perfect.

Comparisonitis can be a quick road to paralysis. Before you know it, hours have gone by where you sat snuggled up on the couch, looking at and thinking about how easy it is for everyone else. When you notice yourself falling into this pattern, get up and move. Movement shifts the energy around and within you, even changing your thought patterns.

Excellence in business doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a great deal of commitment, dedication and passion to reach the high standards you have probably placed on yourself. That’s why it’s all about the little actions that will one day allow you to look back and realize how far you’ve come.

4. Take technology breaks.

Live fully in the moment, because that is where the most joy and gratitude is. Even though I engage with a beautiful online community, I love to spend days entirely offline where I can be completely connected with my husband, my close friends or my creativity in my business. Pick a day each month to turn off your phone and free yourself completely.

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