One of the keys to strong positive mental attitude is what you compare your personal performance to. Do you compare your sales results to the top producer in your industry? Do you compare your basketball playing ability to Michael Jordan? Do you compare your last presentation to a speech delivered by Ronald Reagan or JFK?

Or do you compare your results today, to those you had yesterday?

Sports, sales, and the media teach us to compare our success against that of others, living or dead. Consistently successful people however place their primary focus on their own progress, using the achievements of others as inspiration for what is possible.

By comparing yourself to others you risk feeling like you're a failure, which could cause you to avoid working towards your goal. When you are comparing yourself to yourself, you create momentum behind your actions towards your goal because you feel great as you realize the progress you are making.