Benchmarking

Benchmarking is comparing one thing with other.

In office, employees benchmark themselves with others and complain about their salaries.

Parents generally benchmark their children’s marksheet with that of the other kids and will say, “Next time perform better than them.”

Sportsmen will benchmark their present performance with their previous performance. It is benchmarking with oneself.

We cannot escape from this benchmarking.

Now the point is not whether to benchmark or not, it is inevitable, the focus is on the effect of your benchmarking on you.

We are surrounded by many people who spend their lives complaining about what they wanted to do but couldn’t or adjusting without working towards their goals.

We often hear the wise words, “Be happy with what you have. Compare with those who don’t. Feel lucky to have what you are having right now.”

This may soothe your ego but will it help you to grow ?

The benchmarking we do must help us in fuelling our passion. It should help us in going the extra mile. It should touch the deep desire which we have from a very long time. It should make you focus on what you want, leaving less important things.

It should give us a path, a goal, an enthusiasm.

I am not saying not be satisfied with your work, without satisfaction you cannot enjoy what you get, but that shouldn’t make you complacent not to move forward.

When you think someone is better at something than you and you want to reach that level, when you want to reach a height, there is no point in being satisfied with where you are now and what you are doing now. Because this is not what you want. Know what it takes to reach there. Know the skills you have to develop to make it. Learn them. Reach there.

You may benchmark with those above your level or below. But is your benchmarking sapping your energy level, is it weakening your desire, is it leading you to think, “This is enough. I cannot be better.” Is it stopping you from taking your next step towards your goal ? 

If yes, then think again and consciously change the effect.

Jump into the bowl you always wanted to.