Not *the* best; *our* best

In a recent TABLE call, a question was tossed into the discussion that really caught my attention. It wasn’t about the usual suspects — client acquisition, pricing & profitability, or juggling work-life balance — it was more introspective:

“What’s the biggest challenge for you to overcome in your business?”

It went on to evolve to, ‘What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve created for yourself?’

The question struck a chord with me because it didn’t point fingers at external factors (like we often do), but instead turned the spotlight on ourselves.

That might sound intimidating — and it is — but if we’re the problem, we can also be the solution.

For me, the biggest hurdle hasn’t been mastering new technologies, finding enough work, or even handling nightmare clients… It’s been wresting with comparing myself (and my progress and status) to others.

I suppose it’s a type of impostor syndrome — but one that manifests with jealousy that doesn’t just say “You’re not good”, but “You’re not as good as them”.

It’s not surprising, to be honest… Thanks to social media we see the highlight reel of everyone else’s success and stack it against our blooper reel of challenges and setbacks.

Does that resonate with you?

Here’s the truth though… There will always be someone more successful, knowledgeable, more ‘something’ than we perceive ourselves to be. And that’s okay. The only comparison that really matters is the one with our past selves.

I try to remind myself of this when those feelings creep in… Have I grown since last year, last month, or last week? Am I continually learning, improving, and pushing my boundaries?

If the answer is ‘yes’, then it’s cased closed.

We don’t need to be the best, we need to be our best.

Now, it’s your turn.

I’ve shared my struggles and how I’ve been trying to tackle it — but what about you?

What are you struggling to overcome in your business? And, more importantly, what are you going to do to beat it?