I Kept Comparing Myself to Others in the Gym — And It Almost Broke Me

– From self-doubt to self-discipline: how I stopped caring and started growing

I’ll admit it — I used to walk into the gym and immediately scan the room. That guy lifting 100 kg? Better than me. That girl sprinting like a machine? Definitely fitter than me. Even someone warming up with “my max” weight would make me feel small.

I couldn’t help it — I compared myself to everyone.

The Problem with Comparison

At first, it felt like motivation: “If they can do it, so can I.” But slowly, it started eating at me:

  • I felt discouraged by how “behind” I was
  • I questioned if I’d ever catch up
  • I pushed myself into lifts I wasn’t ready for, risking injury
  • And worst of all, I stopped appreciating my own progress

Instead of focusing on where I was going, I obsessed over where others already were.

The Reality I Ignored

I didn’t know their story. Maybe they’d been lifting for years. Maybe they were athletes. Maybe they had better genetics or more time to train. Or maybe they were just at a different chapter of their fitness book.

Comparing my Day 20 to someone’s Year 3 wasn’t just unfair — it was stupid.

Yet I did it. Every day. And it killed my confidence slowly.

How I Snapped Out of It

One day, I noticed someone watching me. They looked nervous, unsure — just like I did once. That’s when it hit me:

I had become someone else’s “comparison.”

And yet I was still comparing myself to others, not realizing how far I’d already come.

What I Do Differently Now

  • I track my own progress — not others’. Just me vs. me.
  • I use others as inspiration, not competition.
  • I remind myself that everyone starts somewhere — and we all move at our own pace.
  • I focus on effort, not ego. If I gave my 100% today, I’m winning.

The only person I’m racing is the person I used to be.

If You're Struggling With This Right Now…

Here’s what I wish someone told me on Day 1:

  • You don’t have to lift the heaviest.
  • You don’t have to look the best.
  • You just have to keep showing up — consistently, honestly, and patiently.

Fitness isn’t a competition. It’s a commitment.

Stop watching everyone else’s reps. Focus on yours.

Final Thought: Don’t Let Someone Else’s Chapter 10 Steal Your Chapter 1

Comparison kills joy. Progress builds confidence. Choose which one you want to feed.

The moment I stopped comparing, I started growing — physically and mentally.

Your journey is yours. Own it.

📌 Related Post:

10 Gym Mistakes I Made as a Beginner

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