Comparison is the Thief of Joy

The longer I’ve been a life coach, the less impressed I am by my own accomplishments.

Which sounds strange, because from the outside, they look pretty solid.

But the truth is, the longer I do this, the more I find myself comparing my timeline to everyone else’s… and sometimes feeling like I should be further along by now.

The other day, a fellow coach asked me how long it took me to hit a certain income level. When I answered, I immediately felt myself cringe.

Not because I wasn’t proud of it…
But because it took me three years.

And suddenly I was thinking about all the people who did it faster.

I don’t usually talk about money much, but when people ask, I’m honest. I don’t think income should be some secret. If you were applying for a job, you’d want to know what the pay was, right?

Still, when I said the number out loud, I felt that familiar wave of comparison.

Why did it take me so long?
Why didn’t I get there faster?
What did I do wrong?

And then I had to stop myself.

Because comparison is sneaky like that.

I’ve watched people hit the same milestones I did in half the time. And instead of celebrating them, my brain went straight to questioning my own worth. I forgot everything that came before.

I forgot that I started with nothing.

I forgot that I was the girl who never thought she’d make six figures in her life.
The girl with a history of disordered eating, depression, and a whole lot of self-doubt.
The girl who didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was, let alone think she could become one.

When I started, I was broke, insecure, and still figuring out who I was. I was working full-time, rebuilding my health, navigating relationships, and trying to believe I deserved more than survival.

And yet… I still built something.

My first year I made just over $10,000.
My second year, closer to $40,000.
My third year, I crossed six figures.

And that didn’t happen because I was the smartest or the most talented person in the room. It happened because I refused to quit.

I didn’t have some magical advantage. I didn’t have a big platform or a perfect plan. I just kept showing up, even when I doubted myself. Especially then.

But comparison has a way of stealing that truth.

Because when you start measuring your journey against someone else’s, you forget where you actually started. You forget what you’ve overcome. You forget that growth isn’t linear and success isn’t a race.

Some people start with resources, confidence, or support systems others never had. Some people don’t carry trauma, financial stress, or years of self-doubt into their journey.

And some of us do.

That doesn’t make our success smaller. If anything, it makes it deeper.

I’ve had to learn that my path is mine. My timing is mine. And my success doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s to be real or worthy.

Because the moment you start measuring your life by someone else’s timeline, you give away your power.

And the truth is, no one else gets to define your progress.

If you’re moving forward, learning, growing, and refusing to quit, you are doing exactly what you’re meant to be doing.

Stop shrinking your wins.
Stop apologizing for your pace.
Stop discounting how far you’ve come.

Your journey is valid.
Your timeline is allowed.
And your growth counts, even when it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.

Comparison really is the thief of joy… and you deserve to keep yours.