As we move towards success there can be any number of distractions. The trick is to know when to look sideways and benefit and when not to. Getting that right has a big impact on how effective and resilient you are.
As competitive beings, many of us want to keep up with others, but by doing so we can put real pressure on ourselves. When we look at others we see what we want — the big house, fancy holiday or expensive lifestyle — but the I want what she’s (or he’s) got mindset is rarely helpful. If you like a little competition, don’t compete with others, compete with the You from yesterday and aim to better yourself each day.
Ask yourself — do you look sideways to:
• learn or judge?
• include or exclude?
• help or hinder?
• praise or criticise?
• accept or reject?
• admire or compare?
To compare can sometimes motivate, but more often it distracts us from focusing on what really matters. It’s rarely helpful to look sideways at what others might have or be doing. My advice is: stop comparing!
Looking behind has few benefits either, unless you look to the past to learn for the future. Take a quick glance, but only if you need to. Like the rear-view mirror in the car, it’s a much smaller picture than the large front window where we look out at the journey ahead.
There are a few times when looking sideways or back has benefits, but in most cases don’t get distracted, mind your own business, look ahead and just get on with what’s in front. It’s the best view for success.
Every Minute Counts and You Can Have It All!
