Do you try and compare yourself to others?

If you are like me, chances are that you do. I've spent a long time comparing myself both to people who are more successful than myself and to people who have done nothing. After spending countless hours stressing about where I should be I have realised one thing:

IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Each of us lives an entirely different life. No one can walk in our shoes and live our life for us. If we want to make a change and to achieve the best we can, we have to take action.

Comparing doesn't help us to take action, it only causes us to become demoralised or to help demoralise others by putting them down. Some people even get to a point where they spend more time comparing themselves to others than they do making a change in their life.

For those of you who do like to compare things (like me) there is a solution. You can compare your current situation to the situation you were in 1-5 years ago. Chances are there is a big difference. If your situation is worse now it was 1-5 years ago, you know it is time to make changes.

Forget what others have done or are doing. They have had different opportunities in their lives that you have not had available to you.  Focus on the opportunities you have in front of you to make begin making a difference in your life. Take small steps today:

1. Put $25 in a savings account and add a little each week.
2. Spend a few hours a week reading books related to your job.
3. Start exercising ten minutes more a day than you did previously.
4. Do a little more of what you know you should be doing.

Make a small step that is better than what you are doing currently and watch your results improve. Comparing yourself to others will stagnate your growth. Comparing yourself to your past will help you get a true perspective on how you much progress you are making in your life.