The Momentum Thief.

It’s a tale as old as time.

You start jiu jitsu around the same time as someone else.

At first, things look pretty similar. You’re both getting the same information. You’re going to the same classes. You’re both trying to figure out where your arms and legs are

supposed to go.

But after a while, sometimes one of you seems to pull ahead.

And sometimes, it’s not you.

They’re finding things more often.

They’re more comfortable in certain positions.

Things seem to be clicking a little faster for them.

And once you notice it, it can be hard to stop noticing it.

It’s easy to start comparing your progress to theirs. You start trying to figure out what they’re doing that you’re not. You wonder what you’re missing. You might even start to wonder if you’re falling behind.

But the problem is, you’re only seeing a small part of the picture.

You don’t see whether they’re getting to more classes, taking private lessons, or finding extra ways to train when you’re not around.

You don’t see what they’re doing outside of class.

You don’t see their background.

You don’t know what kind of experience they had before they ever walked through the door.

Maybe they wrestled in high school.

Maybe they trained in another martial art.

Maybe they grew up on a farm (and for real, farm kids are made tougher).

You’re just seeing a result.

You’re not seeing everything behind it.

And when you compare yourself to a version of someone that you don’t fully understand, it can start to change how you see your own progress.

That’s where comparison starts stealing your momentum.

Comparison doesn’t just make you feel bad for a minute. It can start to slow you down.

You start questioning whether you’re training enough.

You start questioning whether you’re understanding what you’re working on.

You start questioning whether the effort is worth it.

And once that gets in your head, it can turn into, “Why try so hard if I can’t keep up?”

But that question is built on a comparison that probably isn’t as complete as it feels.

When you compare your progress to someone else’s, it’s a little like trying to write a biography about someone you just met, but you only get 20 minutes to know them.

You might get a few things right.

But most of the story is missing.

And the parts you can’t see are usually the parts that matter most.

So when you look around the room and try to figure out where you stand, keep this in mind:

You’re probably not seeing the whole story.

And comparing yourself to anyone else shouldn’t slow down your progress.

See you on the mats.