Don't Compare Yourself To Others

Don't compare yourself to others.

This is simple advice, and on the surface may seem stupid.  Hell, just take a look at the New York Times Bestselling List.  How are you going to compete with them?

Simple.  Don't focus on them.  Concentrate all of your energy on one person: YOU.

If you're in a sales organization, don't look at who is number 1.  Look at yourself and make improvements on your own success, not anyone elses.  Look at your writing.  Have you improved?  Is the quality growing better and better over time?  Chances are, if you've worked hard and smart, it has.  Congratulations.  You're leaving your old self behind and transforming you into a new you.

As a writer, it's easy to compare yourself to the powerhouse writers of Stephen King, John Grisham, or J. K. Rowling.  Quit doing that.  You can use their success to fuel your own desires for success.  But don't compare your writing to theirs.  Make your own writing better by, quite frankly, crafting it better and making it unique.