Training advice for the Fit Pros

“Comparison is the thief of joy. It is the death of joy and contentment.”

(Unknown)

You may be familiar with the above quote and inclined to agree with it if you think of situations where you have felt as though others are doing better than you. You might scroll social media and wonder why you are ‘behind’ others you spent time with at school. Certainly, there is an argument for social comparison being something to hold you back. However, I want to consider that it is something you can use to your advantage! 

See social comparison (certainly something many people experience in the fitness industry): You see videos and images of six-packs and feats of incredible strength that seem impossible. You may be inclined to beat yourself up for not reaching these goals and, therefore, be ‘behind’ in life. 

I want to propose an alternative though- perhaps it may be utilised to your advantage, after all if you didn’t have anyone better than you then you wouldn’t have anywhere to grow towards, and life is meaningless without growth of some kind. When you see other people’s successes, you can be inspired rather than deflated by what is possible.

With this in mind, the ability to progress and grow means that you can move forward. As long as you filter what you see on social media as inspiration for what is possible rather than letting them hold you back, you can utilise social media to your advantage. In this sense, social comparison can propel you and move you forward towards your goals. You shouldn’t worry that others are ahead of you- consider that perhaps this is as far as they might go?

They may look at their lives and think they are already so far ahead of others that they don’t need to push themselves much more. As you view them now, you can see that you can do more. Eventually, through consistent effort, you will surpass where they are now and then push on further. It is never too late to develop yourself, and you can use this social comparison to propel you further. My final point is that you will compare yourself to others regardless of the willpower you might try to use. Some days, it just hits you. When it does, try to remember that you can use this to help you move forward rather than living with envy. Keep pushing on with your goals regardless of where you see your friends, and you never know who you might inspire by your own actions.