OH! Magazine - Australian Version July 2018 | Page 16

( Health )
AVOID THE COMPARISON
CONUNDRUM
Have you ever felt lost, flat or completely deflated in your career
or business? Or sometimes, even in your life?
e’ve all been there… sitting next
to friends at brunch, when one
turns to the group and says 'Did you hear
you-know-who got promoted… again? I
should really be at that level by my age!'
or 'Wow you’re publishing your third
book! in two years? Amazing!' or “you’ve
got how many Instagram followers?
Really?' If so, chances are, you have
fallen victim to what I call, the
'Comparison Conundrum'.
W
You know the one. Where we think,
wonder and often envy how someone else
seems to have their life totally sorted!
We watch from the outside (on our
devices or from the other side of the
‘mask’) wondering how they can possibly
have a thriving career/business, travel
the world, have an all-adoring partner,
fabulous love life, talented kids, is a
picture of perfect health ALL still whilst
maintaining a rocking social life and
saving the elephants in Africa and
refugees in Sudan!
The Comparison Conundrum is
dangerous. It can make any of us feel as
though we don’t 'do' enough, 'have'
enough or are simply 'not good' enough.
Which is completely untrue, of course.
Here’s the bigger issue: the more we
waste our valuable time looking, envying
and wishing we had what everyone else
has (or at least allegedly has), the less
time we spend establishing what we
actually want, and then doing the hard
yards to achieve it.
So here’s the deal.
16
OH! MAGAZINE ( JULY 2018 )
If you ever start to head down the
Comparison Conundrum, take five
minutes for yourself (yes that means you
have to quit the Facebook stalking for a
moment), grab a cuppa and jot down
these three simple things:
1. What do you want? Personally and
professionally?
2. Why do you want it? If you got it,
what would it give you?
3. What do you need to do to make it
happen?
•
The Comparison Conundrum is easy to
fall victim to, so if and when you do, quit
wasting your time comparing yourself to
others and shift your focus to you.
Remember, pinpoint:
•
•
•
Before you start, take a moment to write
down, what you already have (and I don’t
mean material stuff). I mean the
resources (internally and externally) do
you have at your disposal to help you get
what you want?
•
•
Make a list of your own amazing
qualities, attitudes, past
experiences, skills and knowledge
that you possess.
Brainstorm the various people who
you can call on for help – your
support crew.
Who else might be available to give
you advice or feedback?
what you have (and take a moment
to be thankful for that).
what you want and why, and
importantly;
what you need to do to make it
happen.
By doing this, you can finally learn how
to avoid the comparison conundrum,
once and for all.
Blythe Rowe has spent the past 13 years
in senior HR roles for some of Australia’s
largest businesses including McDonald’s
Australia and the retail giant, Bunnings.
Blythe’s obsession for people and
performance led her to become the
founder and director of the training
organisation, Human Incite. To find out
more visit www.blytherowe.com