I have a bad neckache from looking up too much

It's ironic how my motivational poster depicts exactly how I'm feeling right now.

***

We may deny it, but we all have someone to look up to. Although it may not be for the same reasons, we all have him, her, it or them in our lives. I have a few myself, and these people keep on changing as I move along with my life. Some were even mentioned a few months back. These 'benchmarks' as I prefer to call them can be anyone from our family, our classmates, our working colleagues, or even our leaders (although I don't see many who can fit this title).

Having your own benchmark(s) can be useful. You can evaluate his, her, its or their achievements and set them as your own goals. If your benchmark is still alive (because they can be someone from the past) and is within your communication network (because sadly, you may idolise this person, but the person has not the remotest idea of your existence), then you can actually mingle with this person and see him for what he, she or it truly is and not based on hearsay and prejudgments. And that will make you more comfortable with your benchmark.

However, one must not take the benchmarking thing too seriously as it may have the exact reverse effect of dooming yourself. Because, the person you have in mind is not you and you are not him, her, it or them. Your intellectual capacities are different, you have different skills, you have different believes, you stand on different moral grounds, and you may even have different final goals in your life. Therefore, what he, she, it or they have achieved may not be as easy for you to do yourself. So, when you take this thing too seriously, the fact that you failed to obtain the same achievements may harm you before it can actually benefit you. Plus, if you're too obsessed, that's not benchmarking, that's stalking.

And boy, do I know about stalking. =)

In other words, benchmarking is good, set goals but adapt to your own pace and don't stalk.

I just lost a benchmark a few months ago, and I think I've found a replacement. And this one is a real challenge. My other two benchmarks are not going anywhere. God Willing.

***

And one more thing