Sit Right Back And You'll Hear A Tale
When I first came to Steemit, my intent was to post. I just wanted to write. I enjoy a fairly wide range of topics, so I figured I could pump out different topics, find out which ones were more popular and maybe concentrate more on those.
Well, as anyone knows who has been around for more than a week, there's more to it than just posting. Just like any other social media network, you need to network. Some refer to it as building relationships, others as making friends, but in the end, it's all the same. As in the real world, if you want to get somewhere on STEEM, you have to meet and get to know people.
In my case, that meant beginning to comment on and curate people's posts. I figured I could do that, because it would ultimately benefit me. Since there's a visibility issue that the trending page doesn't solve without a bunch of STEEM/SBD or friends in high places, that left commenting as much as possible on other people's blogs and responding to the comments on the ones I did pump out.
That was what I did for January, when I started, through about mid-March. At the time, I thought I was doing a lot, but nothing major was happening. Strike that, nothing medium or minor was happening. I was falling into a trap of thinking I was doing all that I could do, with the thought that my work is probably among the upper tier of posts here.
Isn't That Special
Well, what I've learned is, it doesn't matter squat what you think your stuff is worth if
a) no one sees it; and
b) people don't see you adding value/helping them
I was in the process of evaluating what I should do if I even continued on STEEM when it was suggested to me by 
It took me a week or so to sign up, but when I did, that first reveal of where I was at on the engagement list opened my eyes. There were people commenting five, six, seven times what I was doing, with a corresponding amount of characters, so my rather puny contribution to the STEEM blockchain proved to be all the more pitiful. No wonder I wasn't getting anywhere. My sprinting (I thought) might be fast for a turtle or a snail, but that was it.
There's More, And Then There's Too Much
The leagues, however, weren't the only thing out there that I could have joined or was invited to do. There are all kinds of communities that have sprung up just to help others, along with programs and bots. All are designed to make STEEM life easier, mainly for the red fishes.
The problem is, those who are heavily involved in these communities, aside from the red fishes, are the next level up, the minnows. Yes, there are other sea species involved, too, but their numbers are fewer to begin with, and those who are involved are fewer than that. I don't pretend to know the reasons for that, I just know that when you go around to the different organizations, especially ones who are similar, you see a lot of the same people.
Unfortunately, mentoring and judging and dispensing information takes time. It takes time away from growing your account because the things that are being done—coming up with contests, determining winners, rounding up sponsors, coming up with new programs, etc., can and do take away from the account building process. A lot of it takes people off of STEEM and onto Discord, where the chatting can go back and forth for hours and hours if allowed. And all that time spent off the blockchain means there's no chance to be building an account.
Now, I realize there is networking that can be done on Discord, including curating, and so forth. And I can't even judge the value any of this has. I can only take the words of those questioning if they're doing the right thing, or striking the right balance and wonder if there's not a better way.
The Old Fashioned Way
To date, the only community I am involved with, continues to be the leagues.
Why?
Because the leagues help me to do what I should be doing anyway and because I fully believe I am helping people, with my posting, commenting and curating. I truly believe that is where my time is best spent. If I'm posting, I'm providing something for those who see it and find it meaningful to comment and curate on. If I'm replying, I'm building relationships. If I'm commenting on their posts, I'm showing my willingness to go to them, add value, and in so doing recognize the value they're contributing. If I'm upvoting, I'm helping them to build their accounts. Incrementally, maybe, but I am.
As I get upvotes on posts and comments, I build my account. As the curation rewards come in, I'm building my account. I'm also getting my posts and comments seen by more people the more I read, comment and curate.
I might question whether or not my account is building as fast as I would like it, but I don't question if what I'm doing is best for me. I feel it is. The alternatives I know of either won't make me happy. I will feel like I have too much to do, and that I'm not adequately keeping my commitments, least of all to myself.
In The End
There's only so much time in the day, and we all need to figure out how to use it. If time is limited for STEEM, then that makes it all the more important to know what you want to do and then do it. For me, that's posting, commenting and curating.
I know. I'm sounding like a broken record, but it works for me. And I think it would work for a lot more people if they just decided to do it, but that's not my call. I can talk about it, give my side of things, try to persuade even, but in the end y'all are going to decide what you're going to do.
As for me, well, I don't need to repeat it. I just hope that everyone can find their why, their reason for sticking around and making STEEM a better platform and a more valuable asset.
Who knows. I might change my mind. There might come a time where I can comfortably do more.
For now, well, you know.
About This Post
In large part, this post is a continuation of a conversation that has been carried forward (if not started) by 
