I’ll let you into a secret. Life coaches have a habit of checking out other coaches. Yes, it’s the truth. We’re always snooping around trying to see how so and so writes or speaks about something—including me!

But coaches are not the only ones who do this. Comparing ourselves and our work to others is a human thing to do. We can be inspired and learn how to do things well. The problem is when we fall into the compare and despair trap – when we see how well others are doing and compare it to our own (perceived puny) efforts.

What I’ve come to see is that the times I find myself competing with others is when I’m trying to be them and not me. It’s me wanting to be someone else. It’s me being inauthentic – believing that they have “it” and I don’t have “it”.

It’s me trying to fit my picture into their frame. And it just doesn’t work. It never works.

So many of us are consumed with comparison and competition – two emotions that suck your energy. Think about how it feels to be consumed with jealousy.

How we change our relationship with competition is simple: it is to just be ourselves.

And if you find yourself not impressed with yourself, if you find yourself wishing you had more of the “it” factor, more impact, more creativity, more…then you’ll know that you still have brilliant work to do of finding your own gifts --of finding your own unique voice.

So instead of leaking your energy in competitive thinking and comparison, remind yourself that that’s just what a mind does and bring your attention back to YOU. Don't let comparisonitis

get you off track because it does an excellent job of keeping you stuck, feeling not good enough, and deflated when it's actually the opposite of who you really are.

Know that you have everything you need to be who you desire to be. That you are lacking nothing. That there's no need to waste your time checking out others if it's going to bring you down. Spend more time with you. Be more present with you.