Three Problems With Comparison for New Bloggers

Particularly for new writers beginning the blogging journey, comparison can kill confidence and create problems.

New bloggers often struggle with comparison, much like my youngest child who said, “I’m a slow runner. I don’t want to play soccer.” When I asked her why she thought she was a slow runner, she mentioned how much faster her older brother and sister ran. She struggled with confidence, not realizing she was unfairly comparing herself to her older siblings. She couldn’t see this was not a realistic comparison. Bloggers often struggle with comparison creating problems with confidence and negative thinking.

Comparison Creates Competition

Resist the scarcity lie that the success of others crowds out your own opportunity.

Comparison can cause significant set-backs when it comes to writing. All too easily, it can create competition when we allow the success of another to diminish our writing or sabotage our confidence. Choose to celebrate the achievements of others. Learn from their skill and experience.

Comparison Breeds Negative Thinking

Comparison opens the door to the problem of negative thinking. Comparative thinking leads to other forms of negativity—pride, envy, jealousy, resentment, discouragement, and criticism.  What can begin as comparison and negative feelings can quickly ignite destructive thoughts and actions.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. James 3:16

Comparison Demotivates Passion

Comparison can stifle passion to fulfill the writing desires God places in our hearts.

Have you ever compared yourself with a more experienced writer and thought, “Why bother…I’ll never be as good as ________.” The power to demotivate passion is one of the greatest problems of comparison.

Resist the temptation to measure the gap between where you are and where someone else is. We often see this gap as a diminishing, devaluing thing rather than embracing the growth process of our own writing.

I have hung over the edge of motivation, wanting to quit because the journey to “success” is steep and difficult. Maybe you have too. Comparison saps passion and energy when we forget that God is with us in the process.

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. Galatians 6:4-5 MSG

Choose to celebrate and learn from successful and experience writers, rather than give into comparison. Give yourself permission to grow through the process and develop skill at the pace that is right for you. 

Don’t let comparison rob you of confidence and joy in writing. Comparison is a choice you don't have to make. Click To Tweet

At the end of it all, comparison asks the wrong question.

The right question is this: what does God want to do through my writing?