How To Challenge Yourself And Reach Your Goals

Do you ever feel like you're not making any progress or that you're stagnating? Days keep going by, you're getting older, and nothing exciting happens. Your friends on social media seem to be working hard, traveling, making progress, and living their best lives. And then there's you sitting on your couch and scrolling through your phone, chewing on that fast and cheap dopamine. But what if we told you you're being fed a destructive lie. What if we told you that you're trapping yourself in a vicious cycle of stagnation and are the only one responsible for all of this.

We live in a world that constantly pits us against one another, from school rankings, sports competitions, and job promotions to social media hikes. Still, this kind of competition will only hold you back and eventually turn you into a social justice warrior who prefers screaming at a screen instead of making their bed first thing in the morning. So here's an alternative. How about competing with yourself instead?

Here are some psychological and scientific facts to support this argument. Let's start with the social comparison theory because you must understand your brain's workings before trying any quick fix.

Social psychologists Leon Festinger introduced the social comparison theory in 1954. This theory explains our innate tendency to evaluate ourselves by comparing our abilities, achievements, and attributes to those of others. So, feasting our argument that humans have a natural drive to gain accurate self-evaluations and reduce uncertainty about themselves, social comparison achieves this. You need to know two main types of social comparisons: Upward and downward comparisons.

Upwards social comparison occurs when we compare ourselves to people we perceive as superior to us in some way, such as having more tremendous success, better skills, or higher social status. Now why this type of comparison can sometimes inspire and motivate us to improve. It can also lead to feelings of envy, inferiority, and lowered self-esteem. Especially if we perceive the gap between ourselves and the comparison target as unattainable.

The downward social comparison involves comparing ourselves to people we perceive as being inferior to us in some way. This comparison can sometimes boost our self-esteem and provide relief by making us feel better about our abilities or situation. People who love gossiping and bullies tend to be significantly affected by this, just as a matter of fact.

Several factors can influence our tendency to engage in social comparisons. Some of these factors include the following -

Personal Attributes: People with low self-esteem or self-doubt are likelier to engage in social comparisons as they seek validation and reassurance.

Situational Factors: Situations that provoke uncertainty or threaten our self-concept. It can also trigger social comparisons. For instance, starting a new job or experiencing a significant change in your life can prompt you to compare yourself to people in your circle. And if you catch yourself doing that, just know this, you fell prey to social comparison.

Presence of Others: Social comparison is more likely to occur when you're, in fact, other people you perceive as similar to you or relevant to the specific domain of contrast. But the good news is you can solve most of these with the right mindset. So here are a few strategies:

Cultivate self-awareness: By cultivating self-awareness, you recognize when you're engaging in social comparisons and acknowledge the associated emotions and thoughts. By becoming more self-aware, you can make a conscious effort to shift your focus back to your own personal growth and goals.

Practice gratitude: Regularly practicing gratitude can help to counteract the adverse effects of social comparison by focusing on the positive aspects of your life and acknowledging your achievements.

Limit exposure to comparison triggers: Social media can be a significant source of social comparison. Consider reducing the time spent on these platforms or unfollowing accounts that triggers feelings of envy or inadequacy. Remember, most influencers just sell you the ideal lifestyle. They're not actually living it themselves. But by presenting an ideal to you, they're generating the money to make it happen. Your watch time is their money. More people need to become aware of this.

When you compete with yourself, you shift your focus from external factors to personal growth and self-improvement. By setting personal goals and striving to become the best version of yourself, you can better generate intrinsic motivation and focus on activities that align with your values and interests. This approach will help you to develop a sense of purpose.

Set Personal Goals: Setting personal goals is a powerful first tool for self-competition. To make your goals effectively, you need to be innovative. You know, this specific measurable attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This means you need to define exprecisely what you want to achieve. Break it down into specific steps, set a deadline, and regularly monitor your progress. Doing this can create a roadmap for your personal growth and keep you motivated to achieve your goals.

Reflect on Your Progress: Reflection is crucial to self-competition. Taking the time to reflect on your progress helps you to stay focused on your goals, identify potential obstacles, and develop strategies to overcome them. Regularly assess your achievements, setbacks, and areas for improvement. This will help you to stay on track and adjust your approach. If necessary.

Keep a Journal: Keeping a journal is a powerful way to track your progress and foster self-competition. Write down your goals, accomplishments, challenges, and insights. This will help you to stay accountable, reflect on your progress, and maintain motivation. Plus, when you look back at the journal, you'll be able to see how far you've come and celebrate your successes.

Embrace Failure: Self-competition is about embracing failure as an opportunity for growth. When you compete with yourself, you can view setbacks as valuable learning experiences. By reframing failure, as a chance to learn and improve, you can bounce back more quickly and maintain your motivation.

Celebrate Small Victories: Celebrating small victories is an essential part of self-competition. Acknowledging your progress and celebrating your successes can help you stay motivated and remind you how far you've come. Don't wait for significant milestones to celebrate; be proud of your achievements. No matter how small they seem, this will help you maintain a positive mindset and keep your momentum going forward.

This Self-Improvement game is not about being better than others but about being better than you were yesterday. Challenge yourself to grow, learn and improve every single day. In the end, you'll find the person you are truly meant to compete with was yourself all along.

Remember, it's not always about getting to the finish line by any means necessary. How you get there matters; competing with yourself is the most ethical and satisfying path.