Yesterday I wrote about comparison.
Today, I’m going to do the same thing. Because this month is ‘Muscle May’ at the gym my wife, Sarah, and I go to.
We go to a bootcamp style gym called ‘Intentional Fitness,’ and we absolutely love it. Not only have the workouts and culture made a big impact on our mental and physical health over the past few months, but the community there has also been extremely refreshing. We’ve made friends we never would have made before and have learned things we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn.
But, as I said, this month is ‘Muscle May,’ a challenge to see who can gain the most muscle mass over the next 4 weeks, which of course brings up the question: How do you do handle this without comparison?
How is it possible to have a fitness competition, while at the same time not trying to compare yourself to your peers? Essentially, to not compare almost removes the competition aspect of the challenge. Even when comparing your former self to your current self or visa versa.
I’m trying to figure this out, and I don’t have an answer to this question, but if you do, I would love to hear it in the comments below.
I struggle with comparison greatly, and I don’t want to get caught in its traps over the next four weeks. After all, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: How do you remove the comparison from competition?