Life is a competition, but it is not a race against anyone else. The real journey is against yourself and your unrealized potential. It is not about the competition out there or competing against the person next to you, but rather, it is about chasing your future self. Be your own kind of fighter in what you are trying to accomplish.

Our fear most often is reaching new heights of greatness that we never thought possible. One of the worst things we can do is compare ourselves against other people, especially as they flood social media. It is easy to begin to judge yourself based on others’ accomplishments and values, rather than your own. If you strive to achieve a goal with the wrong intentions and end up winning, you can find that you only did it for someone else and what is important to them, instead of for yourself and your own values.

So, how do you become your own kind of fighter? Identify your own strengths and also where you need to improve. You that you are unique in your own way. Dig in and bring out the true you along with those old or new goals that you want to attack.

Avoid spending energy and time focusing on someone else’s life or accomplishments. To fully become your own kind of fighter, you must spend time working on your own life and goals. Over-analyzing our competition can distract us from what we should be doing and where we should be going. Our constant access to information about others can form a dangerous mindset of nonstop comparison, which can be very unhealthy and very unrealistic.

There is nothing wrong with being motivated by those around you, but is if it starts to affect your focus, then it becomes a problem. Envy can sneak in and can lead to frustration. Frustration can easily morph into distraction.

Be your own kind of fighter by learning how to use your competitors as catalysts for change and sources of motivation. They are not there to limit your success. If you stay focused on what you are doing and your own journey, you will keep improving. Focusing on your goals will only result in growth.

Pick goals that fit you best. Determine what you really want to work on and also the things that you do not want to work on. Do not take your eyes off your goal or you may lose sight of why you started in the first place.

Remember, sometimes you will take a step back and sometimes you will propel a few steps forward. Life is a dance. Keep moving forward, but always evaluate yourself based on meaningful things.

You have the best understanding of what your best should look like. Come up with action steps that can help you operate to the best of your ability and help you reach your own definition of success.

You will rarely find two people in identical situations, armed with the same skills and resources. Everyone has different challenges, obligations, and motivators. Attempting to compare your journey directly to a peer’s is a waste of your focus – and your focus is valuable. Focus on what matters. Focus on becoming your own kind of fighter.

Delilah V. Matos is a master esthetician, active in the beauty industry for over 23 years and a writer for one of the largest esthetic magazines, Dermascope. Matos is trained in oncology esthetics working in conjunction with cancer resource centers. Delilah is a USA competitive Boxing Athlete where she unleashes her fighting spirit, staying on her game! She is a sought-after Esthi delivering quality facials while empowering you to  “face the fight beautifully.™️“  Delilah combines her worlds of Esthetics, Boxing & Faith uplifting the human spirit and has packaged her message into the empowering lifestyle brand, Beautiful Fighter®️ Matos reminds us all, no matter what you “face” you can face the fight beautifully and win!