Have you ever found yourself looking around at others and comparing yourself to them? Have you measured their results with your outcomes? Comparisons can lead to real issues, because these comparisons do not allow you to focus your time, energy, and productivity on yourself. Instead, you keep focusing on trying to achieve the results of others, rather than creating your own.
Why Can I Not Get the Same Results?
The one thing that is difficult in time management and productivity is not to adopt someone else’s systems and expect the same results. It is a large industry, and there are hundreds of solutions. I have used many systems over the years, and not all of them work for me. We could compare this to the heath and fitness industry, with all the diets and fitness programs that are out there. Some people see great success, while others repeatedly fail, and never achieve that beach body they have always wanted.
I have been right where you are now. I have seen those who have more time to do the things they love, while living the celebrity lifestyle, but couldn’t replicate those same results myself. Let’s look at the idea of the four hour work week for example. Many people have tried to replicate the lifestyle of Tim Ferriss, but have failed. I love the book, and think that there are many great ideas in it that we can incorporate into our lives, but can we actually mimic those results? The answer is yes. But, instead of blindly adopting a system and expecting the same outcome, we must re-engineer the system to achieve our desired outcomes.
Who Are You Measuring Yourself Against?
We compare ourselves to leaders, mentors, and peers so often that we think we are good judges of what will work and what will not work. In fact, we are terrible judges of what will work. The receiver will decide if the result works for them. Everyone has individual expectations. If expectations do not get met, it is up to that person to find a solution. That is where feedback from the consumer, client, or employee comes into play. They decide what works because they are the ones getting results. As a former Human Resources Manager, I thought I knew what systems worked, but when I did not get my desired outcomes, I thought it was the people executing my system. The real issue was that my system was perfect for me, but did not work for everyone. My system was about controlling the process.
The real battle I was fighting was myself every day. I was trying to create an army of human resource warriors just like me. We all know very well that controlling processes can kill creativity. Some companies and systems live and die by this process. What I failed to realize as a young leader was that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. This works the same for any program or product that is being produced. It must be re-engineered to fit the individual for maximum efficiency.
Produce Your Own Results
In past articles, I have also recommended to adjust suggestions to your needs. The systems you adopt and create should be unique to you. It is your job to produce your own results. If you block your ability to be unique, you will not be you, and you will not keep the doorway open for success. You will find yourself among the herd of people trying to get through the same gate, pushing and shoving, fighting for the same space. You are unique because you are one of a kind. Go out there and produce one of a kind results and live the life you want to live.
Great post, Kirby. You are right in that way too many people compare themselves to others. A mentor once told me to stop comparing my beginning to someone else’s middle, meaning that the people’s results I desired had been doing the same things for far longer than I had been doing them. It’s important for each of us to know ourselves well in every area of life.
I also read something this week that said, “a lot of systems work, but without discipline, these systems are useless.” Like you said, ” It is your job to produce your own results.” This is why discipline is so important.
So important, Kirby. A flip side to this is also that comparison can keep us from doing our best. If we are surrounded by people who are achieving less, it’s easy to excuse ourselves from trying as hard. As ever, there has to be balance (not always pushing). But for me, especially when there is no competition or higher standard present, it takes even more focus to push to my own personal best.
Kirby, thank you so much for this post. I grew up with a twin brother and everything was a competition. Ever since I have struggled with the comparison trap. I especially struggle with it in ministry as a student pastor. You are so right I need to focus on whete and what God has called me to do and stop comparing myself to others. Thanks!
No problem Jeremy. I am glad that I could help. We all have our own special talents and gifts. We just have to be ourselves and our own brand and employ those talents and gifts in a way that creates our own results.