“To compare is to despair.” The first time I heard that age-old phrase was a little over a year ago, when Jack Plotnick said it at a taping for Your Actor MBA. Colleen Wainwright followed it up with the Sufi saying, “Comparison is of the Devil.” Clearly, comparing your journey to anyone else’s is one of the least-kind things you can do to yourself. But actors do it all the damn time.

(Maybe humans do it all the damn time, but I tend to spend my life around actors, and I imagine the majority of y’all reading these words are actors, so, go with me.)

There’s a lot of energy in this industry spent checking out what others are doing. “How does my headshot measure up to hers? How does my reel compare to his? Are my credits as solid as theirs? Do I network as well as you do?” Oy. It’s exhausting. But it’s a full-time job for many actors.

And I’m going to ask that y’all resign from that full-time job, right now.

(This column will be really short, because that’s really all there is to say.)

Sure, be aware of what others are doing. Track trends. Notice if your headshot doesn’t belong anywhere in the world of those taken of other actors. Notice if your resumé isn’t formatted to industry standard. Notice if your reel is nine minutes long when everyone who is out there booking has a 90-second reel. Certainly, track it. But don’t be obsessed by it.

Looking at those who are your competition (if you believe in that) should be no more than a fleeting, glance-around-the-room, quick onceover. Like, “I’m casin’ the joint,” at max.

Be aware, but don’t compare.

Because as soon as you start whippin’ out the measuring stick and turning your focus to the rear-view mirror, you start skimming into others’ lanes. You stop driving your car and start trying to drive everyone else’s. That’s no good for you!

Mind your path. Yeah, observe what others are doing and figure out what might work and what doesn’t really fit for you. Don’t obsess over the stuff that you can’t control. Observe. Assess. Get your mind right. And drive on. It’s about your journey, after all. Not anyone else’s. Ever.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001392.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.