First of all, how is this the first time I've used a Beyonce photo? It's basically all I've been listening to besides Gyptian - but that's for another post.

My best & I were talking last night, as we always do after Wednesday Zumba. We are both detoxing on this Resolution Challenge, and the topic of comparison and competition came up. In fitness and in life, it's so easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, and how you stack up against them. Social media is the petri dish that's ripe with material to make you feel like you're not good enough. But on whose terms?

I let myself fall into that trap early on the detox, when I saw many of the other girls on Facebook posting the detox-friendly dishes they'd found & created on their own. We get a meal plan and recipes, and last year most of us followed it. This year, there are a lot more of us doing the Challenge, and a lot more at-home chefs at that! I was following the regimen handed to us, but when I saw these other dishes, I was like, "Should I be looking and making other fun recipes too?"

Your body and mind go through a lot during the detox, and I was flushed with confusion. How quickly I forget that I am not a big cook myself. That while I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, I don't have a lot of time to do so on a regular basis. All along, I wanted to just roll through the detox with what was given us in the program, then be about my other business. I had to stop and remember that! I've been saving these amazing recipes, but will enjoy them on my own time.

My point here is to focus on what your end goals are; what you really want. I stay in my own lane; I just need to try harder not to look over at the other lanes so much. I am very competitive - with myself. I am always pushing myself to do better, from Zumba & Glow workouts to how productive I can be in one day. I love having a community, especially around the Resolution Challenge - but there's no need to compare myself to, compete with or critique others. We're all in it for different reasons, reaching for different goals. Rather than spending time trying to 'one-up' others or putting ourselves down, try harder to spend it on uplifting and encouraging others to be their best, too.

I see you workin' hard mamas, and I am too. Let's get it!