Have you ever found yourself dreaming about doing “the thing” you really want to do—whether it’s getting in the best shape of your life, learning a new skill, or mastering a craft—but then quickly brushing it off because it feels impossible? You’re not alone. Many of us set our sights on big goals, only to become paralyzed by the thought of how far away we are from achieving them. We get caught in a cycle of self-doubt, thinking, “Why bother?”
The problem often lies in who or what we’re comparing ourselves to. We look at the end result—the guy with competition-ready abs, the guitarist selling out arenas, or the person effortlessly speaking a foreign language—and suddenly our own progress feels insignificant. We measure ourselves against something so far ahead in our future, or against someone else’s journey, and it’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed. But here’s the truth: comparing yourself to these distant outcomes or to other people’s successes is a recipe for discouragement. It’s easy to say, “I can’t get to that,” when you’re staring at someone else’s finish line without recognizing where they started. You see the final product, not the countless hours of effort, the failures, and the small wins that built up to that moment.Instead of comparing yourself to others, shift your focus inward. Ask yourself, “How can I be better today than I was yesterday?” This mindset shift is where real progress begins.
It’s not about making a giant leap; it’s about taking a small, intentional step forward. Put in a little effort today, right now, and then do it again tomorrow. Repeat the process daily, and you’ll start to see the compounding effect of these small efforts.
This approach does two crucial things: it keeps you grounded in the present, and it sets you up for long-term success. By focusing on improving the “right now,” you avoid the trap of getting discouraged by how far you still have to go. Instead, you celebrate the small wins—each one a building block toward your bigger goal.So, quit basing your progress on other people’s achievements or on the enormity of the goal itself. Where you are today is the only starting point that matters. Take stock of it, then figure out what you can do to improve—no matter how small that improvement might be.
Remember, consistent effort over time will get you much closer to your goal than any quick fix or sudden burst of motivation. In the end, it’s not about who you’re comparing yourself to or how daunting your goal may seem. It’s about where you are right now and what you can do to make a small improvement today. Focus on that, and you’ll be amazed at how far you can go. —This blog post encourages readers to rethink how they approach their goals, emphasizing the power of small, consistent actions over time. It’s all about breaking down the mental barriers that comparisons and overwhelming goals create, and instead focusing on the daily effort that leads to real progress.