Subscribe to my newsletter - the Step Up! You'll get an inside look into my thoughts, mental models, and ways of going about life - with the goal of helping you do the same. Take the first step and join me on this journey. Newsletter every Thursday at 4:30pm CST.
The Step Up - Volume 7: You vs You
Volume 7: You vs YouThere will always be someone better than you. This is something I've been reminded of more and more as I've gotten into running. I'm proud of myself for being able to run a 5k nonstop now! (I was never a runner before two months ago) Then I have friends who run 8-10 miles on a Saturday morning long run at a two minute faster pace than me and a dramatically easier time overall. Then I have other friends training for a Hyrox competition in Houston or an Ironman, biking 99 miles on a Saturday afternoon down the bayou just for training. Then I open Instagram and see people breaking records at the Chicago Marathon, running ultramarathons around DC just to win their company's step competition, and running the MOAB 240 through the mountains (for fun, I guess?). Another example: career I'd say I'm doing pretty well! I've got a great fulfilling job, great community connections and accolades, great professional opportunities and resources, and great upward momentum. Then I check LinkedIn and see a guy with 8k+ followers who was Mr. Beast's Head of Philanthropy at 25-26 years old and Director of Media for Alex Hormozi at 29. It's very easy to fall into comparing your life to others. You could go into every area of your life and list someone who is doing it better than you.
There will always be someone better than you. And that doesn't matter. What matters is that you are better than yesterday's you. This isn't a new idea to any of us, but it is something I've had to remind myself more of lately, and I wanted to share it here. Life is you vs you. Focus on getting 1% better every day, and let the power of compounding take effect. Make future you proud of the work that present you is putting in. Let everyone else do their thing. Do yours. And have fun while you're at it. See you next Thursday, Steppers. We will succeed, Grayson Song of the Week:
This song, headphones on, full volume. Trust me. I can only compare the first listen of this song to a handful of others - Frank Ocean's Self Control, Omar Apollo's Angel, and Bon Iver's 715 - CR∑∑KS. Jon really came back with a great album earlier this year, and DON'T SHOOT shows how skilled he is at making an orchestral, overwhelming musical atmosphere. |
Grayson Stepanek
Subscribe to my newsletter - the Step Up! You'll get an inside look into my thoughts, mental models, and ways of going about life - with the goal of helping you do the same. Take the first step and join me on this journey. Newsletter every Thursday at 4:30pm CST.
Vol. 11: The Power of Thanks Friendsgiving at Cafe Bella Today's all about giving thanks. There's so much power in that mindset. Thankfulness. An "attitude of gratitude," as the Boomers call it (shoutout Zig Ziglar). But it's true. Poising your mind to be in a state of thankfulness is so, so powerful. Gratitude puts you in a positive headspace, reducing fears or negativity. It makes you more present and aware, pulling you from the future's "what if's" or the past's "why's." It reduces...
Vol. 10: If This Isn't the Time of My Life, Then When Is? This made me pause. This was the ending screen at EDEN's concert, and it's been a motto around his recent album DARK. It relates to one of my biggest struggles: constantly focusing on what's next and often forgetting to appreciate the present. If this isn't the time of my life, then when is? It's so easy to get caught up in the pursuit: Living for the weekend Attaining the next promotion or award Chasing that next PR I struggle with...
Vol 9: The Myth of Youthful Energy My actual calendar from last week Last week was a whole month. Literally the busiest week of my year. A productive, fun, meaningful busy - but busy nonetheless. It made me think about how people say they appreciate someone's "youthful energy" when the other person is doing a lot, and that's always stuck with me, but not in the way those people intend. "Youthful energy" is a myth. Putting myself in these shoes: I know people older than me who are working...