How to Turn Career Jealousy Into Motivation

We all know those people who seem to have absolutely perfect jobs. They radiate enthusiasm and have a nice feed in their social media accounts.

Of course you also want to be like them. But, no matter how much you flourish, they’ll always be others out there doing better than you. Deep down, it makes it harder for you to celebrate their success.

We’ve all probably experienced this career jealousy far more times than we’d like to admit. And, it can be a frustrating feeling. Plus, envy not only makes you miserable but also makes it harder to reach your goals. So how can you step off the career jealousy and enjoy your success?

Luckily, there’s something productive you can do to turn it into your motivation!

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Know Why You’re Jealous

Well, the most common answer might be, “I’ve been working hard, but he did it better and got the acknowledgement!” or “Because I stay in the background, while she’s getting all of this acclaim.”

This is a comparison problem. The next time you feel jealousy, take a moment to figure out what it all might mean. Use tyour career jealousy as a wake-up call to clue you in to what’s missing in your world. Do you wish for a better job? Or crave healthier relationships? Your jealousy can show you the way.

Start Working on Yourself

After knowing why you’re jealous, it’s time to go the next step. Try to figure out, what can you work on in your own life? If staying behind the scenes is eating at your sense of worth, find ways to increase your own visibility.

Even if you don't achieve your goals right away, simply working on yourself is a great place to start. Being active will make you feel a part of it all, instead of like an envious outsider looking in. And besides, everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Turn Your Envy Into Admiration

It can be tempting to hide from the source of your jealousy but it'll be way more helpful to approach them and ask how they achieved their goals. “You'll likely learn a lot, build a positive connection, and free yourself from the emotional heaviness of jealousy," Pitcavage says.

Instead of staring someone down with envious eyes, turn them into your new inspiration and start to learn their ways. Learning from them is not only a healthier response, but a pretty good way to reach your goals.

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Remember Your Strengths

If you're feeling jealous of someone, it can help to remember that everyone has their own pace ad way to reach their goals. So if you're trying to emulate them, and it's just not working out, go ahead and switch things up. Think of your own strengths and then apply them accordingly. Turn your career jealousy into action and it will get you where you want to go.

Count Your Own Blessings

As the saying goes, envy is counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own. Counting our blessings isn't the same as boosting our ego by reminding ourselves how we're better than others. It's more about refocusing on what is really important in life.