If you were involved in sports growing up, you might have felt the pressure to beat someone else. It might have seemed as though you were always being compared to the person next to you: will you be good enough to get that scholarship, will you beat others to get a place on the team, will you carry your team to state? And sure, this is a big part of sports; being the best can be an important motivator. What they might not have taught you in your sports growing up though is that not everyone has the same finish line, nor do they have to. You can set your goals and they are yours and yours alone.

To be completely honest, not everyone will have the same starting line either. Have you ever heard that saying, “Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20”? Every person and their genetic makeup are unique. Some people are born to be naturally taller or leaner. In addition to that, from the moment we are born, every person is raised in a different way. Exposed to different elements, driven to experience different emotions, and raised by different morals, there is just no way we are all going to be the exact same.

If you’re at a point in life where you feel as though you’re not enough at your sport, you are failing at competition or you are starting to feel burnt out, then lean on running for the answer. As an individual sport, running is the perfect way to set your own goals. No matter training with others or on your own, your goals remain true to you. The more you learn about the sport, you will see that everyone has different opinions, but what is one way to someone else doesn’t have to be the only way for you. This is your opportunity to take that information and apply it in a unique way that works for you.

With a sport like running, you have the ability to train hard and see improvements. By setting realistic goals (or not, shoot for the stars!) you can continue to make progress and crush your own finish line. It is important to accomplish your dreams and celebrate your strengths, while you work on your weaknesses. Stand strong to not get caught up in comparison or allow anyone else’s accomplishments bring you down. Sport is for fun, and crushing goals is oh-so-sweet!