Run Your Race: Why Comparison Is Slowing Down Your Small Business
- Anna Steinfest
- Jan 26
- 2 min read
Somewhere, right now, another business owner looks like they’re winning.
Their growth seems faster. Their revenue posts look bigger. Their confidence looks effortless.
And if you’re not careful, comparison will quietly drain your energy, distort your focus, and slow your progress — without you even realizing it.
That’s why this week’s Monday Morning Motivation on the Small Business Survival Conversations podcast is all about one powerful reminder:
The goal is not to beat someone else’s life. The goal is to build yours.
The Hidden Cost of Comparison in Small Business
As business owners, comparison feels almost unavoidable. Social media, email newsletters, LinkedIn posts, and industry chatter constantly show us highlight reels — not the behind-the-scenes struggle.
But comparison comes at a cost:
It steals focus from your actual priorities
It creates pressure to chase goals that aren’t yours
It makes steady progress feel like failure
The truth? You were never meant to live someone else’s story.
You have a different business model. A different season.A different definition of success.
When you compare your Chapter 3 to someone else’s Chapter 12, you lose sight of the work right in front of you.
“Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Paper”
This week’s podcast episode is built around a simple but powerful idea:
Comparison is a poor use of energy.
Progress isn’t always fast. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s invisible. But staying on your own path — even when growth feels slow — is how real momentum is built.
Small businesses don’t win by copying someone else’s race. They win by running their race with clarity, consistency, and intention.
Listen to the Podcast Episode
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode, we talk about:
Why comparison feels so tempting (and why it’s dangerous)
How to redefine success on your own terms
What “progress” really looks like in the survival and growth stages of business
Three practical actions you can take this week to regain focus and momentum
Listen to the full episode here:
Perfect for your morning walk, commute, or first cup of coffee.
Download the Free “Run Your Race” Worksheet
To make this episode practical, not just motivational, we created a free downloadable worksheet to help you apply the lesson immediately.
The worksheet walks you through three simple but powerful action steps:
Action Step 1: Limit Comparison Triggers
Identify what’s pulling you. Your attention away from your goals — and set boundaries.
Action Step 2: Define Your Own Scorecard
Clarify what success actually looks like for your business in the next 30 days.
Action Step 3: Take the Next Right Step
Focus on one specific, controllable action that moves you forward this week.
Download the worksheet here:
Print it, write on it, and keep it visible this week.
Your Monday Reminder
You don’t need to be faster than anyone else. You don’t need to look like anyone else. You don’t need to win someone else’s race.
You just need to keep moving forward — deliberately, consistently, and on purpose.
Stay on your path. Keep your eyes on your own paper. And trust that progress compounds when you don’t quit.
We’ll see you next Monday for another Monday Morning Motivation on Small Business Survival Conversations.
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