Had one of those quick, off-the-cuff chats the other day.

You know the type – nothing too deep, bit of small talk, football, weather… and then a passing comment that stuck with me. It was about someone we both knew – a mutual contact who’s been doing well for himself lately. “He’s done alright, hasn’t he?” Then a pause… “Must be nice.” Now, it wasn’t what he said that stood out. It was how he said it. There was a tone – that slight tinge of envy you hear sometimes. The kind that suggests someone’s success just dropped out of the sky and landed in their lap while they were busy doing nothing.

Thing is, I know the bloke he was talking about. And I know how hard he’s worked to get where he is. The missed holidays. The weekends sacrificed. The early starts and the late finishes. The risks and sacrifices. The moments that looked effortless on the outside but cost him dearly on the inside. It didn’t “just happen.” He earned it – bit by bit, over years of graft.

But that’s the thing about success. People are often jealous of the outcome – the cars, the holidays, the wins – but never theprocess. They want the rewards without the sacrifice. The result, without the repetition. The view from the top, without the climb. It’s this bias that makes us underestimate how much effort someone’s put in, simply because we’re looking at the result, not the road they travelled to get there. And when we do that? It’s easy to let jealousy creep in. Easy to feel like they had it easier, or were somehow luckier than us.

But that kind of thinking never helps. Truth is, someone else’s success shouldn’t irritate or discourage you – it should inspireyou. It’s living proof that progress is possible. That hard work can pay off. That you don’t need shortcuts – just consistency. So the next time you catch yourself looking at what someone else has achieved, instead of thinking “must be nice,” try asking yourself, “What can I learn from that?” Because no one gets to skip the hard bit. Every success story you admire has a version you didn’t see – the long nights, the mistakes, the moments they nearly gave up. And if they can do it? So can you.

Anyway – that’s my little reflection for the week. What about you – ever found yourself turning envy into inspiration?