I’m always comparing myself to other people, I’m awful at it. They’re faster than me, they’re stronger than me, they’re more confident than me.

As I’ve been learning to run I’ve constantly been comparing my time and pace to others, feeling deflated as quickly as I felt proud when I see someone who me can run much faster than me, especially when they are older than me.

This quote popped up on my facebook memories today and it really hit home. Several years ago when I first shared this I tried hard to remember it, but it had slipped away, so the timely reminder was just what I needed.

This can be applied to so many things in life. You could change the “I” to “We” and think about your dog training journey with your dog. Your agility career. Your horse riding. Or individually your job. Your journey to weight loss. Your progress in a new skill. Anything.

Zebby has not been the easiest dog to train and I know that I am doing my absolutely best with him and I’m proud of where we’ve come, but when I see other people with their “perfect” little dogs I frequently think “why aren’t we like that”.

I was always taught to do my best. It didn’t matter if I came first or last as long as I had tried my hardest and done my best. And I still think that frequently and tell it to other people, but I guess it got stuck in my childhood in regards to GCSE results and sports day. Instead I need to remember it applies to everything I do.

I can work hard and strive to get better and better, but it is my journey of getting better and I’m only competing with myself, trying to better myself, not other people.

These quotes happened to be in the copy of Runner’s World I was reading yesterday, just to further elaborate the importance of not comparing yourself to others.