39: The Comparison Trap: Why You're Always Looking at the Wrong Timeline
Summary
You're scrolling Instagram. Someone's shop is sold out. Their feed looks effortless. They have thousands of followers. And you think: I should be further along. What am I doing wrong? Here's the thing—you're comparing your chapter one to their chapter twenty. And that comparison isn't just unfair. It's holding you back.
In this episode, Kathleen explores why comparison feels so inevitable (especially in the social media age), why it's almost always misleading, and how to start measuring your progress against the only timeline that actually matters: your own. You'll discover what you don't see in other people's highlight reels, why trying to skip steps backfires, and practical strategies for when the comparison wave hits.
You'll hear about:
Why comparison is so hard to avoid
The timeline you don't see
What actually matters: your own progress, not someone else's chapter
The danger of trying to leapfrog steps
What to do when comparison hits with practical strategies
Redefining success on your terms, not what you see in someone's feed
Takeaway: You're not behind. You're not failing. You're just on a different timeline. The person you're comparing yourself to was once exactly where you are now—uncertain, learning, wondering if they were good enough. But you don't see those years. You see them at chapter twenty while you're at chapter three. Stop comparing your beginning to someone else's middle. Measure yourself against your own past. Are you better than you were six months ago? That's what matters. You're running your own race.
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