When I was a synchronized swimmer, it was easy to compare myself to others. Especially my duet partner. In duet, the job is to be together perfectly matched. But in solos and figure competition, well, your job is to be the best you can be. Period. Full stop. You both collaborate and compete. Great learning for life and work.
The only way this works is to focus on what you can control. You. I could control how I performed. Not how anyone else did. I couldn’t make my partner fabulous in our duet any more than I could make her ever so slightly less good at her solo. I had to just swim my routine.
In traditional swimming racing, even in politics, it means stay in your race. Focus on what you can control. Measure yourself against your own record.
It is so tempting to look at others and compare. To their skill. To their workload. To their press or accolades. But we almost never have control over those things or their actions.
All we control is us.
On your journey, swim your race. Your way. Your path. To your best.
Best,
Julie