The “right” way
This evening I went running at the local high school track.
I have a jiu-jitsu tournament coming up in November, and I'm trying to build up my cardio. So I'm at the track running sprint intervals.
Several other people were there, too. None of them were doing what I was doing.
Some were jogging, some power-walking, some just strolling and talking to their kids.
That didn't bother me — why would it?
But it sure used to.
When I first started running years ago — and knew nothing except that I wanted to move more — it was easy to worry about what everybody else was doing and whether I should be doing it too.
I assumed they must know something I didn’t.
But now I understand there are plenty of reasons why we all are — and should be — doing completely different things.
For all the folks I might be watching out there on the track, there are at least three important differences between them and me:
Are we at the same stage in our fitness journey?
Do we have the same goals — in the long term, and in terms of what we want right now?
Does either of us actually know what we're doing and have reason to believe that this activity is going to help us reach our goals?
Here's the thing:
It’s always tempting to compare obvious differences.
When you see all the wonderful (or awful) things folks are doing at other organizations, it's really worth pausing to ask whether the comparison is even useful.
Are your organizations operating at the same level?
Do you have the same goals?
Are their super-cool programs even likely to help them reach their own goals?
Frankly, it would be pretty hard for you even to know those answers.
There's not much use in comparing.
And much less use in copying.
The only "right" way is to decide what your own goals are, and work out your own strategy to go from where you are now to where you want to be.
If you happen to learn from others as you go, that's great!
Just don't get the idea that someone else is holding the roadmap to your destination.
Only you have that.
All the best,
A.