I was thinking today as Canada Day has come and gone. A lot of people around here were disappointed because the fireworks weren’t anything spectacular. We used to have big, competitive displays like the Celebration of Lights, but lately it’s mostly just small local shows. Meanwhile, all the videos from the US Fourth of July are full of these incredible fireworks displays. So now a lot of Canadians are expressing disappointment that wasn’t there before.
It’s interesting as you didn’t hear much complaining about Canada Day on its own, but once people started comparing it to what others had, that’s when the frustration kicked in. It’s a pattern that shows up in business too. We often compare ourselves to others when we really shouldn’t. We should focus on what we have available and work with that.
Of course, you shouldn’t just accept the status quo as it’s healthy to look at what others are doing and strive to do it better. The problem comes when you constantly compare your progress to someone else’s. You might be a startup grinding everything from the ground up with no support, while the other business had rich relatives giving them a massive head start. Your situations aren’t the same, so the comparison isn’t fair. Everyone has a different journey. Use others’ success as inspiration, but don’t measure your worth against it. Focus on your own growth and stay productive.