Hey Reader!

I just started reading Wellness, a novel by Nathan Hill with the most deliciously beautiful writing. It's got the kind of sentences you want to devour, then re-read 10 times, just to soak them all in.

And the whole time, I keep catching myself thinking: what if my writing is never this good?

Some context: I just kicked things off with my book coach. I'm finally writing the book I've been dreaming about for years, and I'm approximately two paragraphs into a multi-year project, already measuring my messy first attempt against one of the most celebrated novels of the decade.

(Yes, I hear it, too).

This week's podcast episode (recorded before I ever picked up Wellness; thank you, universe, for the comedic timing) is about exactly this: the comparison trap.

I tell the story of a client who called her competitive streak a character flaw. She'd been racing against a colleague who perpetually looked like she was doing so much better than her. But in reality, she's built a story off of very few real data points that make up this woman's highlight reel.

That's exactly what I'm doing with Nathan Hill. I'm comparing my draft zero — the blooper reel, complete with every doubt I woke up with this morning — against his final, published, professionally edited highlight reel. I never saw his deleted paragraphs or the drafts his editor sent back. And the man has no idea I exist, which makes this a very strange race indeed.

​In the episode, I get into:

• why your brain does this (ancient survival machinery, working exactly as designed)
• why "just stop comparing yourself" is fridge-magnet advice that has never worked on anyone
• how that sting of envy is actually some of the most honest data you'll ever get about what you want

​

Episode 78: The Comparison T... Jul 12 · Bold Women In Business P... 30:03   ​

If someone is living rent-free in your head right now, this one's for you.

See you next week, Reader!

Boldly yours, Rachel Honeyman CEO @ HoneyBeBold