The only person you should be competing against is yourself. That’s right. You, and only you. Read that again. Remember it when you start trending towards comparisonitis.
The only person you should be competing against is yourself.
I’ve always identified myself as some form of athlete, in the most amateur of ways, but the last time I did a triathlon was in 2017, and until this year I hadn’t run a fun run since …I can’t remember.
Sure, there’s been the few yoga sessions each month, a bit of circuit training, lots of walking, but none of that is as satisfying as a solid hour provides, or the rush of the starting line of a race – even when I know there is not a chance in the world of winning.
It’s never about winning against others.
The competition is with ourselves.
You don’t even have to step foot outside your house to be bombarded with images of ‘perfect’ bodies, smiles, hair, or waistlines. Waiting in the supermarket aisle, the magazine covers stare back at you and the thoughts at the back of your mind creep in, you should be doing more, why didn’t you run this morning, you shouldn’t have eaten that brownie slice, you’re not good enough, why don’t you look like her.
It’s exhausting and deflating.
Comparison is deadly for any ego. We’re all different in more ways than one. Sure the basics are the same but the package we come in varies greatly.
Big boned. Petite. Muscular. Round. Apple shaped. Hourglass. Skinny. Fit. Fat. Manly. Floppy. Need I go on?
The only thing that we do control is what we put in our mouths and how much exercise we do. It doesn’t matter how much exercise you do if you eat like shit. Just as it doesn’t matter if you watch your weight but never actually lift a weight.
Success comes from forgetting about what others are doing and thinking about what it is that you want to achieve. Then, taking action.
Just because that girl in the office has managed to drop twenty kilograms in twelve weeks doesn’t mean that you have to or even should. You don’t know the sacrifices or the back story. You haven’t walked a mile in her shoes.
Compete against yourself and only against yourself.
Be better today than you were yesterday…for you.
Better doesn’t mean perfect. Perfect does not exist.
It’s about making small improvements every day. Ensuring that the choices you make are in line with your goals.
- Choose a glass of water over a can of Pepsi.
- Have a piece of chocolate not the entire block.
- Enjoy a glass of wine rather than the bottle.
- Make it a habit to walk more than you sit.
- Meet for a paddle-boarding afternoon instead of a boozy lunch.
- Pat yourself on the back for being good enough.
The truth is that unless you’re training for a body building competition or aiming to win Kona, stop being so fucking hard on yourself. And even then, you can only do as much as you can do.
You don’t need to fit into size 6 skinny jeans. Not everyone has that shape. Nor do you have to sport a chiseled six-pack or run a sub-3-hour marathon. Unless you want to and it aligns with your values.
What do you really want?
Health and fitness is so much more than looking good in your Instagram feed. It’s more than the Acai bowl that claims to be full of nutrients. Nor is it the latest diet craze that promises to transform you into the new Elle.
When you feel good on the inside you’re going to look good on the outside, regardless of your shape and size.
Eat well and move regularly to have the energy and feel good every day.
Social media ,and previously marketing and advertising ploys, made us feel as if we should be constantly worrying about how we look and the size of our waistline, and while it’s important to take care of your appearance to an extent, it should not be the be all and end all of your existence.
Looking good is a byproduct of your happiness. If you feel good (different for everyone) you will look good. Good is subjective. Fuck what anyone else thinks. Make sure your good aligns with your values.
So what do you want? What do you value?
Who or what are you competing against?
