Millennials: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

“Don’t compare your beginning with someone else’s middle.”

I’m sure that you have heard this statement time and time again. But as a lot of things in life, it is definitely easier said than done. I graduated college less than a year ago, and I was set on jumping straight into my career. But things did not go exactly the way I had planned.

I started my postgraduate career as an intern- Not the worst possible scenario, but I could not help but think of the people I knew who were starting fulltime positions. I kept comparing myself to these people, thinking that they were more successful than me.

In reality, they were not more successful than me.

There are certainly people who move faster in their career than others. This could be for many reasons: They are in a field with a high demand for work, a close connection helped them get a job, or they simply worked very hard to get where they are.

However, success should be something that is personal to each individual. We should strive to be better versions of ourselves, not better than those around us.

The journey towards your ideal career is your very own. Do not be down on yourself because others are accomplishing their own goals. Instead, be happy for them. If you are working hard at what you do, success will come to you, as well.

I may not have started where I thought I would after college, but these past months have allowed me to grow in my career and as a person. I have slowly learned to not compare myself to others. My success does not involve anyone but myself.

The Millennial generation needs to start focusing on individual goals. Comparing yourself to others will take away the joys of your own success.

Here are three ways to do away with comparing and to begin celebrating your success:

1. Start a Journal: Sometimes we don’t realize that we achieve small successes in our day to day life. Writing everyday will give the ability to look back and see how far you have come.
2. Talk About Your Success: Though your success is an individual achievement, your supportive friends and family will love to hear about it. Post to social media, send an email, or give a phone call to include your support network in your celebratory success.
3. Drink Champagne: Whether you got a new job, got a promotion, or just had a really good day, there is always a reason to celebrate with champagne.

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