From Comparison to Inspiration

Comparison is the thief of joy. - Theodore Roosevelt 

All of us at some point in our careers have compared ourselves to a colleague. I can think of two examples from my own life where comparison has caused me a lot of trouble.

The first example was during my first year of nursing. I was insecure about being a nurse and felt as if I were constantly struggling. I would compare myself to other new nurses and just felt like a hot mess. The second example is when I had moved into a role where I had to do a lot of on the job learning. The person who I had replaced was so good at the role, I felt like I was never going to live up to them, no matter how hard I tried. 

These thoughts were not helpful, they were workplace poison. When I compared myself to others, I wasn't focused on improving myself or my skills. Instead, I was making myself anxious and letting the inner mean girl point out all my faults. I wasted so much time and energy that could have been used to transform me into my ideal nurse.

Comparing yourself to others does not make you better. In fact, it is actually slowing you down from being the person you want to be. Why? Because you are focusing on why the traits of someone else makes them better than you. 

Today, I am inviting you to STOP thinking this way and let it go.

Comparison does not change us, however being inspired does. One of the greatest things I learned was how to stop comparing myself to others and instead choose to be inspired by them. I start by first looking at what traits I like about the person. I then sit down and figure out how I could create or develop them in myself. What is good about this is that instead of pretending to be someone else, I am creating my own version that is 100% authentic to me. 

Even though you may feel like someone else has it all figured out, we have no idea what that person is thinking. They could be comparing themselves to you, thinking you are the one who has it all figured out. We are all unique beings with our own unique gifts and healthcare needs ALL different types. 

P.S.

Thank you for reading this blog post. I hope it serves as another step toward your journey as an empowered nurse. If you are a nurse experiencing burnout, I am here to help. I offer private coaching sessions that will help you get unstuck at your current job, find better work-life balance, and reclaim your life for nursing. Click here today to sign up for a free 60-minute session.