When you are building your career, it is important to say yes. Say yes to difficult tasks, assignments, projects, work travel, and new opportunities. When you invest in work and commit to doing whatever it takes to get ahead, you will get ahead.

It seems like the easiest way to measure our success is to look at those around us. We troll the Instagram pages of girls we know to see if we are doing as well as they seem to be doing. And, when Lauren—a girl who seems to have it all—posts that she is out with her #besties at that new bar in the Heights, we spend the rest of the night wondering why we don’t have as many friends as Lauren.

But, comparing our lives to the social media pages of others isn’t giving us a realistic comparison because we rarely get the whole story. People typically post their best moments on social media and you never hear about the other stuff. You never see the post about the 10lbs Kayla gained or the post about how Ashton received an eviction notice on her front door because she blew her rent shopping for that new Gucci bag she posted about on Saturday. Just know that while everyone has successes, everyone also has failures and setbacks that you never see. So, stop comparing yourself to others—simply, do you. Otherwise, you will end up unhappy and feeling inadequate, because comparison is the thief of joy.

There is an art to getting ahead at work. Not only does it take working hard and being likeable, but it also takes you tooting your own horn from time to time.

Yes, you need to brag a little to get ahead.

Men are extremely good at announcing what they are working on, what challenges they faced, and how they successfully handled those challenges. However, for some reason, women don’t do this as much as we should. From a young age, we are taught not to brag because it comes across as cocky and obnoxious. And, sure, too much bragging is obnoxious. But if you strategically brag and toot your own horn, your coworkers and boss—and your boss’s boss—will be aware of your value and your abilities. And, when the people you work with are aware of your abilities and accomplishments, you will automatically be placed in the running when there is an opportunity for advancement. So, don’t be shy. Toot your own horn.

Throughout life, we are told to work hard and, that if we do, we will see the reward. So, naturally, in our careers, we work extremely hard and wait patiently for the reward. We arrive at work at 6am, before everyone else, hunker down at our desk, and remain buried in our work until everyone is gone and it’s time to go home for the day. While we spent the entire day hard at work, unfortunately, working like this isn’t paying off in the end. Women are great worker bees but, what we aren’t good at is realizing that sometimes, work won’t get you ahead.

Yes, we need to produce good work to maintain a good career but, we cannot underestimate the power of socializing and networking with our coworkers. Maybe you are invited to happy hour with your team but, you decline to go because you would rather work. Or, you are invited to lunch but, you decide to work through lunch and eat at your desk. Skipping out on social events at work can be detrimental to your career and advancement. Sure, you may feel like you are making headway because you have completed every task on your to-do list but, the truth is, declining opportunities to bond with your coworkers or boss may be undoing all of your hard work.

Being social and getting to know those you work with is extremely valuable. When people like you, and like hanging out with you, you will be one of the first people they think of when they are creating a team at work or assigning a new project. Yes, your work product is important, and you should never miss a deadline to go eat chips and queso, but people need to know and trust you too. So, in addition to working hard, make an effort to be social, get to know people, and simply be around. Otherwise, you will spend your career, with your head down, working hard, wondering why it isn’t paying off.

Often times, we focus our attention on the need for women to lean in and make their presence known in the workplace. While speaking up and leaning in are almost always good things, sometimes, we should shut up and listen.

If you’re new to the office or new to a team of coworkers, it is better to listen, take advice, and learn as much as you can about your new role. Likewise, if you’re relatively green and inexperienced, it is also a good idea to try to learn by listening before being vocal about an area you don’t have much experience in. Sure, you may have some bright ideas or criticisms but, when you are brand spanking new or inexperienced, you should keep the criticisms to yourself. After you become acclimated and you are no longer considered the “newbie,” you should speak up and voice your ideas, in the proper manner of course.