Every culture has multiple myths and allegories about facing our biggest fears and obstacles. It’s found in religion. In philosophy. Hollywood was essentially built on it.
Yet so many of us still shy away from taking monumental leaps, preferring the safety of the familiar, avoidance of the unknown.
I created my Steemit account last June...despite multiple fears. Some of which have been lifelong demons. Raise your hand if any of these sound familiar:
- What if I fail?
- What if I succeed?
- What if it’s too good to be true?
- How can I create decent content on a regular basis?
- Everyone might discover that I’m a fraud.
- What if nobody ever likes my stuff?
- What if I run out of stories to tell?
- What if it doesn’t work?
Okay, I’m stopping. But trust me, I could go on. And on. And on and on and on.
Can you relate?
But somehow I have managed to soldier through my own bullshit. I’ve posted consistently for over seven months and I’ve learned some valuable stuff. Stuff I actually have to relearn and remind myself of still. Because no mater how much success I have in any arena anywhere in my life, deep down I’m still a precious, insecure artist. And I suspect I always will be.
Who’s with me?
Ready to hear what I’ve learned?
1. Just Do It!
That’s right; Nike can sue me. But I’m jacking their iconic slogan. Because it’s true. Just post. Frequently. Consistently. Even when it feels impossible. Especially when it feels impossible!
2. Get Over Yourself!
Every post doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. And the maddening part is that the ones you are the most attached to, the most proud of, are often overlooked. While a bad photo of a freakin’ cupcake with a bite taken out of it just might do surprisingly well. (As a random example, of course.)
3. Engage
My ivory tower is super comfortable. But it’s also pretty echoey and lonely. The more I reach out, the more others reach back. I’ve made some cool friends here.
4. Be patient
Steemit is a journey, it’s not a destination. If you’re looking to get rich quick, you’ve come to the wrong place. The only people raking in massive bucks are either well established long term creators who’ve built up an audience organically and/or people who’ve pumped a huge monetary investment into their accounts.
5. Do NOT compare yourself to others!
The only true and lasting success in life comes from doing you. Own it. Embrace it. Celebrate it!
So who the FUDGE am I to dole out advice? Nobody really. I’m still relatively new. And pretty low on the Steemit totem pole. But...
My goal was to reach 1,000 SteemPower before attempting to cash anything out. I’d set the goal for the end of 2017.
I didn’t make it.
However, I did hit that goal about a week into 2018. And I celebrated by cashing out all of my SBD for the remainder of the month. And as of today I have cashed out enough actual fiat currency to pay my rent for February. In Southern California!
I still have tons of fears and obstacles to face and overcome. But I’m super thankful that I faced my fear of Steemit. It’s pretty freaking cool to get paid to do me!
As Bogie once more or less said, “Steemit, I think this is the beginnng of a beautiful friendship!”