If you’re asking yourself how to develop a growth mindset, here is a great place to start. It’s powerful, but often overlooked. Here’s why…
Prevalent culture influences us to be obsessed with comparison—job titles, follower counts, revenues, résumés—it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. But true growth doesn’t happen in comparison to others. It occurs in comparison to yourself. The real question is: Am I better than I was yesterday?
That’s the secret to developing a growth mindset. And it’s the most sustainable, fulfilling form of competition there is.
Why Yesterday’s You Is Your Best Competitor
Competing with yourself strips away the noise. It reclaims energy wasted on comparison and redirects it to personal mastery. It’s not about being the best—it’s about being your best. That version of you who was anxious about public speaking? Let today’s you volunteer to lead the next team meeting. That version of you who struggled with focus? Let today’s you commit to 25 minutes of deep work.
When you set your sights on progress, not perfection, you enter the arena of the growth mindset—a belief that your abilities can improve through effort, learning, and resilience.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
1. Set Micro-Goals Daily
Instead of obsessing over the big picture, focus on small, meaningful steps. What can I do today that my yesterday-self would admire? It could be writing one more paragraph, making one more phone call, or simply pausing before reacting emotionally.
2. Reflect to Redirect
Journaling or a quick end-of-day check-in helps you recognize progress. Ask:
- What did I learn today?
- Where did I handle something better than before?
- Where can I show up more fully tomorrow?
3. Redefine Success
Success isn’t the summit—it’s the stride. You’re not failing if you didn’t get there yet. You’re succeeding every time you try again with more awareness, courage, or clarity than before.
4. Celebrate Tiny Wins
If yesterday’s version of you avoided feedback, but today you asked for it? Celebrate. You just won. Progress doesn’t need applause from the world—it needs recognition from you.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
With rapid change fueled by technology, AI, and workplace shifts, the pace of learning and unlearning is constant. The only way to stay grounded and growing is to make your own evolution your benchmark.
This internal compass builds resilience, clarity, and confidence. It transforms comparison into curiosity, envy into inspiration, and failure into feedback. “Where does this lead? To a more fulfilling life.”
Final Thought: Make It Personal
Growth is a journey you take with yourself, not against others.
When the goal is to become a better version of yourself each day, the competition becomes more meaningful, and the victories more lasting.
“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.”
— Jordan Peterson
So, who were you yesterday—and how will today’s you rise?
