148. The Comparison Trap: Why Other People’s Careers Knock Your Confidence

Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled for a few minutes, and closed it again feeling worse about your career? In this episode, I explore what I call the comparison trap, that quiet but persistent habit of measuring your progress against other people, and the impact it can have in mid-career. When we are earlier in our careers, comparison can feel useful. There are clear markers, and it helps us gauge where we are. But over time, paths diverge. Careers become less linear, more personal, and far harder to compare in any meaningful way. And yet, many of us keep doing it. We compare our full experience, including the doubts, the setbacks, and the slow periods, to the curated highlights we see from others. In this episode, I unpack why comparison feels so natural, why it becomes unhelpful, and how it quietly drains your confidence, clarity, and focus. More importantly, I offer a practical way forward. You will learn how to shift from comparison to curiosity, and I will introduce a simple but powerful tool from my book Write Your Career, the Highlight Reel. A way to reconnect with your own experience, your strengths, and your direction. If you have been feeling behind, stuck, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you come back to your own path. You can find Write Your Career on Amazon here: https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0 Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www.bravocoaching.co.uk