From Envy to Growth: How to Measure Your Career the Right Way

Issue 135. September 26, 2025 ✨ Higher Power Coaching & Consulting ✨

Stop Comparing Yourself at Work

One of the fastest ways to drain your energy at work is to compare yourself to your coworkers.

When you compare, there are usually only two outcomes:

• You feel “less than” and beat yourself up.
• Or you feel “better than” and fall into judgment.

Either way, you lose. And often, it breeds jealousy, envy, or resentment. None of that helps you feel good about your work—or yourself.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t look to someone else for inspiration. Seeing a colleague handle a difficult project with confidence or navigate conflict with ease can be a wonderful motivator. Role models can expand your vision of what’s possible. But that’s very different from comparing yourself to others to measure your worth.

The truth is, you’ll never know the full story of someone else’s career. You don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes, what advantages or challenges they’ve faced, or what sacrifices they’ve made. That’s why the old recovery wisdom holds true: don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.

Instead, compare yourself to your former self.

Why This Works at Work

• Progress, not perfection. Looking back helps you see how far you’ve come. Maybe you speak up more in meetings now, or you’ve learned to delegate instead of doing it all yourself. Those small shifts matter.
• Ownership of your story. You know your own history, your own struggles, and your own wins. That’s fair territory for comparison.
• Integrity check. When your head hits the pillow at night, what matters most is whether you feel good about how you showed up that day—not whether you matched someone else’s pace or performance.

Info, Not Ammo

If you notice you’ve backslid—maybe you’re procrastinating more than you used to, or avoiding difficult conversations—don’t use that as a weapon against yourself. Remember: this is info, not ammo.

Information shows you what needs attention. Ammunition beats you up. If you notice a dip, that’s feedback that you might need more effort, structure, or support. Even the fact that you’re paying attention is progress.

The Key Ingredient: Willingness

Every positive change starts with willingness. Willingness to reflect, to admit something’s not working, to try again. At work, willingness opens doors. When you pair that willingness with intentional action, growth is inevitable.

So the next time you’re tempted to look sideways at what others are doing, pause. Look inward instead. Measure yourself against your past self, not against your coworkers. That’s the only comparison that leads to real growth.

Takeaway for the workplace:
Stop comparing yourself to others. Start noticing your own progress. Use what you learn as info, not ammo. And remember—willingness is the first step toward becoming the professional (and person) you want to be.