Keep your eyes on your own paper

As a classroom teacher, I repeatedly instructed my students to keep their eyes on their own paper during test conditions. It can be so tempting to take a casual glance at what the person next to you is doing, especially when you’re under pressure. 

I’ve noticed that when the unexpected happens in our lives, and we lose our footing or our confidence, we often do a similar thing. 

We begin to pay attention to what others are doing.

Suddenly the success and progress of others are all around us. 

To make matters worse, we don’t compare like with like. We look to ‘experts’ – those who make seven figures, run marathons, are super mothers, killer bosses and community heroes. 

If only we could be more like them! They have it all together. 

Those who have fallen into social comparison already know it does little to support us to recalibrate or consider how we might choose to move forward. Instead, we do better when we keep our eyes on our own paper.

If you find yourself in an unexpected season, where all is not as you thought it might be, I encourage you to pay attention. Not to what others are doing, but to yourself and the actual life you are living. 

Consider these compassionate questions as you return your focus to yourself:

• What really matters right now?

• What do I truly have the time, space and capacity for?

• What opportunities might exist in my current circumstances when I take a closer look?

From here, you can make decisions about how you move forward that are right for you, not someone else.

If you find yourself looking repeatedly at someone else’s paper or you’d like some support navigating an unexpected season, I’d love to work with you.