Well, as a new official who is a few years older than you, I envy the position you were in. I wish I had gotten started a long time ago!
I've already seen how intense the competition is, and I've decided not to focus on getting to the next level, or what everyone else is doing/getting.
Instead, my goal for each time I get on the court: learn something, and improve. I had a mentor (non-officating) when I was in high school who would always ask me how things went anytime he knew I had been involved in a competition. My knee-jerk reaction was to tell him how I did and whether we won or lost.
No matter what I said, he would always ask, "But did you learn anything?" He always said no matter if I won or lost, if I didn't learn something to make me better next time, it was a waste of time.
Another thought- see if you can find a younger rookie that wants to learn, and help them. If you take advantage of opportunites to teach, I bet you will improve your game!!
Keep it fun and have a great season!