Compared to What?
Last week, Jessica and I were invited to participate in a Peloton ride with a number of financial advisors from around the country. It was organized by an investment company we do business with, and seemed like a healthy way to start a Thursday. We both signed up.
In advance of the ride, we were asked for our Peloton Leaderboard names so we could follow each other as a group. We kicked off at 7:30am to a great ‘80’s playlist.
Besides Jessica and the guy who invited us, I didn’t know any of the other riders. Yet there we all were, united by the fact that we’re in the same industry, got up early to work out, and happen to own the same piece of exercise equipment.
The ride began with a warmup… I can immediately see that there is a male in his 50’s riding in front of me on the screen. I start peddling harder and faster to try to catch him. I don’t know him, but I can tell from our shared hashtag that he is part of our group. I look at the number he has for output, and I see that my number is two points lower than his. Given my competitive nature, I increase my resistance. Over the next minute I pass him. I instantly feel victorious. Mind you, I’m only 5 minutes into the 30 minute ride, but I am pretty sure I am crushing it…
As I pass him, he sends me a high-five. This is a thing unique to Peloton: by pressing a little high-five button next to someone’s name, you send them a pop up icon that tells them they’re doing a great job. It seems silly, but it really works. It feels like instant congratulations and a message of encouragement. What’s weird is that it’s often sent by a stranger. If you have ridden a Peloton before, you know exactly what I am describing. People high-five you, you high-five them back, this goes on for the entire ride. For the most part you don’t know any of the people you’re sending these congrats to. The coolest part is that it doesn’t matter. It’s part of the culture and the encouragement is constant. It’s also one of the things that keeps us coming back.
Halfway through the ride, I’m sweating, singing out loud to the 80’s music playing full blast from my speaker, and trying to follow what the instructor is telling us to do. I notice that I am getting closer to my PR—that’s my own personal record which the computer tracks in every ride. As soon as I see that I can potentially beat my own record, I start pedaling faster. Meanwhile, one of the guys in our group sends me a high-five as he blows past me and skyrockets to the front of the pack. He is moving so quickly up the leaderboard, no one can catch him. I find myself yelling out load and cheering for him (alone, in my basement) and I send him another high-five.
In the end, my heartrate is high and my water bottle is empty. I end up finishing toward the bottom of the pack with most of the group surpassing me in the final minutes.
Why am I sharing this?
If I solely compared myself to the other riders, my ride would have been disappointing. Instead, I compared this effort to my other personal performances and it turns out that I had broken my own PR! My workout was complete, it was only 8am, and I had a new personal record to start my day. I felt awesome.
As you go about your week, I’d love for you to think about this analogy and relate it to your own life: How often do you find yourself comparing your efforts to other people and end up feeling disappointed in yourself? Ever think that sometimes it might be more productive to compare yourself to your own “personal record” in whatever it is you are tackling? Ask yourself “How am I doing compared to me at my best?” rather than “How am I doing compared to that random person who seems to be outpacing me?”
I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with a little competition. After all, it’s competition and the desire to improve that has been the catalyst for so many people to advance and experience incredible breakthroughs in life.
As you’re competing— on the bike or at your job— don’t forget to send friendly high-fives along the way. Some days you’ll be at the front of the pack. Other days, you’ll be lagging as others outpace you. Let all of these experiences help push you forward. Keep focusing on where you are going—and take a moment to appreciate where you happen to be right now.
