Run Your Own Race

“Compare yourself to yourself and say, “How can I be better? How can I be the real me?”

Carson Kressley

Identifying YOUR Goals

Whoever said that comparison is the thief of joy was absolutely right.

It’s contradictory that in a culture that praises authenticity, we often use social media to post an altered highlight reel of our lives. Even worse, applications like Facetune, FaceApp, and VSCO filters allow us to morph ourselves into the unrealistic beauty standards our society praises. If you’re like me, despite being aware of these false portrayals, you most likely tend to subconsciously scroll through your newsfeed and compare yourself to what others are posting…even when you don’t want to. When I first started my fitness journey, comparison was my first major obstacle that I had to overcome to be where I am now.

I knew absolutely nothing about exercise or eating right before I got started in January of 2019. As I mentioned in my first post, I determined that my goal was to feel healthy and strong. However, I was overwhelmingly intimidated by the weight lifting area at Markin. I didn’t want to look stupid, weak, and ultimately like I didn’t belong. I was a beginner among a crowd of seemingly professional athletes. It paralyzed me, but thankfully my determination didn’t waver.

I decided that my best move would be to hire a personal trainer. I reached out to my friend Chris and he agreed to work with me. He taught me proper form, motivated me to push my limits, and truly was my security in an environment that terrified me. Chris and I worked out together twice a week for almost two months until I felt comfortable enough to go on my own. Hiring Chris was one of the best decisions I made at the beginning of my fitness journey because he helped me overcome my first comparison obstacle and kept me focused on my end goal.

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Comparison can follow you into your own home.

Growing up I constantly compared myself to my younger sister. Not only is she extremely athletic, but she has the stereotypical model body: long, toned legs and thin. I’ve always had wider hips, even at my skinniest, so compared to her I felt like I was cheated by my genetic makeup. I truthfully continue to struggle with feeling confident around her because she is perfect to me. However, my new lifestyle has taught me to appreciate my body and all that it does for me.

I’ve discovered that the progress that I make towards my fitness goals has given me a new perspective on myself. It showed me that I simply will never have her body type but I’m okay with that because I’ve learned to love my body at every stage.

This newfound self-love is recent for me. I’m anxious to see how it will influence my life.

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I also want to touch on the tendency to compare our progress and fitness goals to others. The biggest thing that I have learned throughout my entire process is that we know what’s best for us.

I advocate for “healthy” living. Which to me means doing whatever makes you feel good about yourself. Personally, that’s a fitness regime that focuses on lean muscle. However, for others, it’s major cardio and endurance. Or choosing a particular diet. Whatever choice you make should lead you to your health/fitness goal that is personalized to you. Everyone is different, especially in body type and metabolism, so comparing yourself to others and what they’re doing is pointless.

My advice to you is to not listen to what others say or have made you feel and instead really take time to consider what would make YOU feel great! Because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

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