Welcome to Shop Talk, where we chat about everything from the business processes and procedures you swear by to how you handle tough situations (like letting go of a client) to what gets you up on Monday morning. Give us a sneak peek into your business and let yourself inspire (and be inspired by!) our community.
The other day, we were browsing through Feedly and ended up spending some time on one site in particular. We started out feeling inspired by the content and the community, but it quickly spiraled into a full-blown case of the comparison trap. Why is their design so sleek? Why is their community more active? Why is their writing so perfect? Why is everyone raving about their e-course more than ours?
Our sad episode of jealousy led us to wonder how others deal with feelings of comparison in business. We shot out a tweet and got some interesting responses:
@OneWomanShop I like to remember the quote 'comparison is the their of joy' we are always exactly where we need to be. xo and high fives
— Nikki Stern (@MindfulMomNikki) May 7, 2014
@OneWomanShop I’ve been there. Practicing gratitude/allowing yourself to appreciate & be in awe of all the good in your life always helps!
— Kali Hawlk (@KaliHawlk) May 7, 2014
@OneWomanShop So easy to fall into, but we have to learn from others & practice our own success. Others may be comparing themselves to you. — SimplyThriftySavvy (@SimpThriftSavvy) May 7, 2014
@OneWomanShop it's something I work on regularly. For me it's a sign to unplug and get back to my own work. Hugs!
— farideh (@faridehceaser) May 7, 2014
@KaliHawlk@OneWomanShop Agree w/ Kali. Plus, a constant reminder that compare = despair. And you bring your own uniqueness to all you do 🙂
— sara frandina (@heytheresar) May 7, 2014
Now, don't get us wrong: we actually think there are some very valuable things we can get out of our jealous tendencies- such as figuring out what we want in life and in business and providing us with motivation to move forward- but we want to know:
I agree with Farideh’s response on Twitter. When I start getting too overwhelmed and comparing myself to others it means it’s time to close everything out and get back to my own work. Or, if it’s really bad just take a break and come back fresh. Thoughts of comparison are so so so hard, but at the same time, I love looking at and being inspired by what others are doing. It’s just about limiting their influence and the hold it can have on me.
These are some great tips! I honestly just have to shift the focus back to me and what I’m great at. I started keeping a “Wins” journal along with my daily gratitude list, so everyday I write down 3 things that I did well that day. Definitely helps keep the jealousy at bay! xo
I can relate lol – Love Farideh’s comment too. I always remind myself of this quote when it happens “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” Then…get back to work! ha! I do love looking for inspiration and I try to keep in mind not to let little Miss Envy out 🙂