Measuring Yourself Against Scoreboards You Never Chose
Comparing Your Chapter 1 to Someone Else’s Chapter 61
“Everyone else already knows this.”
That’s the thought that hit me yesterday while learning Kubernetes fundamentals… something I’ve been avoiding for months.
Within seconds, my brain added: “You should have learned this a year ago. You’re falling behind.”
Last week, I wrote about how endless content consumption kills our focus. But there’s something that goes hand-in-hand with that: constant comparison.
Every LinkedIn scroll. Every chat. Every time we see what others are building.
We measure ourselves against them. And we always seem to come up short.
I’m choosing different. And I think you might want to as well.
The Scoreboard Problem
Most comparison anxiety isn’t about being slow.
It’s about measuring yourself against scoreboards you never chose:
Their certifications (when you’re focused on building projects)
Their side hustle revenue (when you’re focused on health)
Their Kubernetes expertise (when you’re learning something else entirely)
We see their mile marker on a road we’re not even walking on.
You’re Not Behind. You’re On A Different Path.
Here’s what actually happened those months I “should have been” learning Kubernetes:
I was going deep on Identity and security. IAM policies, authentication flows, identity governance, zero-trust architecture.
I was building Level Journey, an app to help people track their skill progression.
I was starting this newsletter. Learning to write. Finding my voice.
But when someone posted about passing their CKA exam, all I saw was: “Everyone knows Kubernetes except you.”
I forgot about everything on MY scoreboard.
The Identity expertise I was building. The app I was shipping. The writing I was doing.
I only saw the gap on different scoreboard.
Track YOUR Scoreboard (Takes 5 Minutes)
Here’s my exact template:
Today’s Focus:
1. [Skill/Project you’re working on]
2. [Skill/Project you’re working on]
3. [Skill/Project you’re working on]Journal:
What happened today?
How am I feeling?
What am I grateful for?
That’s it.
Copy this into Obsidian, Notion, or whatever notes app you use. Fill it out each day. Takes 5 minutes.
In 6 Months:
Open that note. Read where you started. Compare only to past you.
No special system. No productivity hack. Just your progress, in your own words.
If You’re Feeling Behind Right Now
Ask yourself: Behind on what? According to whose path?
Maybe you’re not behind. Maybe you’re just looking at someone else’s scoreboard.
What’s one skill you’ve been avoiding because you felt “too behind” to start? Reply with one skill you’ve been avoiding - and what did you do instead.
Thank you for sitting by the campfire. 🔥
Radek
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