Justin Schenck is the host of the INC Magazine top-rated podcast the Growth Now Movement and host of the world-renowned event Growth Now Movement LIVE! He is known for his positive energy and being a person who, quite simply, other people like being around.

In a time when there is so much division and negativity in the world, I’d say that’s a pretty important quality!

In this conversation, Justin shares some thoughts from the book he’s currently working on. He talks about the 5 people you need in your life: the Cheerleader, the Bruiser, the Softie, the Mentor, and the Coach. I loved this conversation and found it incredibly informative and inspiring.

Justin also gives some insight into his morning routine, which is a key part of any high-performer’s success.

The post The 5 People You Need in Your Life with Justin Schenck appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Social media has made things both harder and easier for us as writers.

On the one hand, it is much easier than it was years ago because we can connect with almost anyone. We can share content and be inspired by what other people are posting.

On the other hand, social media has made it much harder. Why? Because social media by definition only showcases people’s success. We end up comparing our whole lives, including our failures and frustrations, to a partial view of other people’s lives because they only post their wins. (And we all do the same thing, by the way.)

When you see all the wins that people are posting, don’t compare yourself. Sure, you can learn from other people. But your race is not their race. You have your own pace, your own goals, your own priorities, and your own commitments in life.

For example, if you are a young mother with three kids at home and you only have 15 minutes of silence a day before collapsing into bed at night, don’t feel guilty about not getting as much work done as the single guy who probably has far fewer commitments, much more free time, and seems to be accomplishing more.

Here’s another example. Maybe you are that single person who is just getting started and feels guilty because you’re not accomplishing as much as that business writer with several kids who seem to travel all over the world and have it all. They have a New York Times bestseller, an email list of a hundred thousand people, and what looks like a perfect life.

But what you may not know is that her marriage is crumbling and she’s secretly miserable because she has to run herself ragged to keep up with all the demands of her freshly grown business.

In other words, you never know people’s real situations and what their lives are like on the inside. So don’t assume that what you’re seeing on social media is the whole picture.

This is certainly no judgment on anybody’s personal situation because we all have different lives. Our lives are constantly in flux according to our stage of life and where we are in building a business or reaching our goals.

Don’t worry about anybody else. Just focus on running your own race and learn what you can from other successful people. Then, apply those lessons to your situation.

If you keep at it, pretty soon people will be comparing themselves to YOU. And then you can help a mentor and teach them, just like others have done for you.

Question: Do you have a hard time avoiding the comparison game?

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It’s a blessing and a curse to live in the internet age. It’s a blessing, of course, because we have access to unlimited knowledge and connections. There are a million options for where you want to take your writing business or creativity.

This also represents a curse because, well, too many options is overwhelming. It’s easy to get paralyzed by all the different models of a writing career. Should you do fiction? Should you do courses or a podcast? What about public speaking? Should you start or join a mastermind? What about putting together a community? How many books should you write a year?

For any conceivable model of a writing career, there exists someone out there who is doing it. Here is my best advice: Choose one person who represents the kind of career you want to build and then consume everything they put out. Subscribe to their email newsletter. Read their books and listen to their podcast if they have one. Follow and interact with them on social media.

Then you can see what you like or don’t like about what they do, and adjust accordingly. Don’t follow a dozen people because you will only get confused and frustrated. Just pick one person who is a few steps ahead of you, then figure out how they built their platform or business.

By the way, a little secret that helps is to reply occasionally to that person’s email newsletter and ask a question. They will appreciate the interaction and get to know you. It’s a great way to engage with an influencer.

Daily Question: Who is the writer you want to be like, and what do you like about their writing or business?

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