Challenge Yourself To Get Out Of The Blog Comparison Game

Blogging is a lot like tennis.

Serena Williams once spent 186 weeks as the number one women’s tennis player in the world. She has 806 wins and is virtually unstoppable on the court. And yet at every tournament, in every game, set, and match she has an opponent. Someone has to play against her for her to be so good.

I watched Serena play Caroline Wozniacki in the 2014 US Open. During the match I kept thinking, why do they do it? Why do opponents play Serena when she’s so unrelenting? It happens time after time, in match after match.

Then I realized they do it because they love the game of tennis. It’s not about their opponent. It’s not about Serena. Whether it’s the athleticism, being outdoors, or the thrill of the crowd they do it because they love it.

Now think about blogging. There are hundreds of thousands of blogs out there. A select few are huge. A slightly smaller group are what you’d call big. And then there are the masses who are small, one-(wo)man operations that run more on love than on anything else.

And yet day after day, week after week you publish your posts and share them on social media and respond to the comments that trickle in.

But why?

Why do you keep going, up against the big hitters who aren’t slowing down or taking it easy on the little guys? Why do you write another post when the last 5 have no comments?

It’s because you love it. You have a passion to write well, share your heart, and help others.

That’s why you keep blogging.

If you’ve been blogging more that 10 minutes you have played the blog comparison game. You’ve logged into your site and then into Facebook and immediately seen another blogger in your niche who is bigger, has more likes, more comments, and makes more money than you (which for most of us isn’t hard) and you’ve compared yourself to them.

We’ve all done it.

But what if you stopped comparing yourself and started pushing yourself instead?

You might be asking, “Aren’t those the same thing?”

The answer is no. Comparison has no value. Pushing to be better leads to success.

The best tennis players train for a match against Serena. They know there is the potential to come up against her at any time during a tournament so they break down her game, piece by piece and train for it. They learn to return a 128 mph serve.  They push themselves to run faster, to play the net, and to be ready for anything.

In the process they dream about winning, because that’s what tennis players want most, to win, but they also become better. As they do their love for the game grows and so does their drive to be their best. They see where they need to improve, not where they need to be “just like” and they train accordingly.

If you challenge yourself to get out of the blog comparison game and start pushing yourself to be your best instead, your blog will become what you want it to be, a success.

So, how do you stop playing the comparison game and start pushing yourself towards success?

{Updated for 2020}

Play the right game

Tennis is made up of levels from 1.5 to 7.0. The pros are sevens. Parks and rec players are more like 1.5s to 4.0s. If you are a 2.0 you are not going to go play a game with a 6.5 or a 7.0. You are going to play against some others at your level and slightly above.

This allows you to see where you need to work and train so you can move up.

If you are a new blogger (or even one with experience) look for someone slightly farther a long than you and see what it is they are doing that you strive for. Then go practice. Don’t try to model yourself after a blog that has been around for 10 years and has millions of followers. Take it one step at a time.

Maybe the next level for you is posting more often. Perhaps it’s adding a newsletter. Maybe it’s learning to take better photos. Whatever it is, play the right game to improve your skills.

Remember, don’t compare, but push yourself to be better.

Train for your own success

There are hundreds of thousands of people who play tennis. Not every single one of them wants to be the number one player in the world.

Some play for fun, others for the competition, still others for the travel.

Those who know why they play enjoy the game the most because they can train for their own success.

If you know why you blog you will enjoy it much more than if you only do it to be like someone else.

Some blog for money, some for book deals, still others for the relationships.

When you compare your blog to someone else’s you don’t know what their motivations are and therefore you can’t train properly. You must know your own purpose, stay focused on it, and train accordingly.

Look higher for inspiration not blog comparison

There is nothing wrong with seeing what the best of the best are doing. Look to them for inspiration, for seeing what’s possible.

All tennis players watch Serena to see her grace, her power, and her skill. It’s inspiring.

Look to your favorite “big” bloggers for inspiration. See how they connect with readers, share on social media, and generate income. Be inspired by their success. See the possibilities.

Then go back and play your game. Use the inspiration to push yourself to be better.

Blogging is like tennis. It’s an individual sport. Everyone has their own style, motivations, definition of success, and flair. Find yours and ROCK it. Challenge yourself to get out of the blog comparison game. Push yourself to be your best you and success will surely follow.

Which step above do you need to start working on today?