Are you focused on your own business journey? Or do you constantly compare yourself to others?
Your goals for your business are your own and should mean something to you. You don’t always have to be “better, faster, stronger” if you’re happy in your current situation. Are you setting goals that are realistic for you or are they to compete with others?
Two weeks ago I participated in a charity bike ride in the mountains. It was my fifth time participating, and my second time riding this route. The night before the event, I reviewed my performance from last year and decided that I wanted to average a certain speed, which would be an improvement over the previous year.
I started the ride optimistic until my new Garmin informed me that there were 15 climbs on the 52-mile route. This being the mountains, I knew they would not be short or easy, but I was riding well, maintaining a good pace, and feeling strong. My nutrition was consistent, and I stopped at a rest stop midway through for a quick break and to check my stats. While my average speed was almost 2 mph higher than my goal, I knew that there were still 9 climbs remaining. Some of the climbs I had already done were 2-3 miles long (ouch!) and surely, I had more like that to come.
I left the rest stop and immediately encountered another long climb. I rode at my pace and kept up with my nutrition. I was happy with my progress and encouraged that the only people passing me were the young, fast guys who were riding a longer distance. I was encouraged as I saw the number of climbs decreasing until finally only one climb was left.
I was stopped at a redlight with 2 miles left to ride when a teammate who rode a longer route caught up with me. Was I happy that he beat me? Absolutely not, I wanted to win! After the event he complimented me and congratulated me on my strong ride, but I still felt discouraged. Even though I achieved my goal, I was only focused on being beaten by him, but it turns out, his pace didn’t improve over last year at all and mine did.
Your goals should be relevant to you, not measured against others. Do you set goals to improve your internal results or to beat the competition?
My goal is to help companies in transition streamline and document their operations so they can grow their bottom line. Contact me today to learn more https://beckinsights.com/take-action
