Do You Base Your Worth On How Many Views And Likes You Get?
This can be hard sometimes.
Yesterday, a light bulb went off my head.
With over 2K followers, around $600+ per month, and sometimes even 7K claps with a viral article, I’m on the so-called hedonic treadmill.
It’s a metaphor for the human tendency to pursue one pleasure after another.
I want more and more.
More claps, more views, more likes.
Do you also base your worth on how many views and likes you got?
Well, this can be hard sometimes.
I once was a travel influencer
Yesterday I realized, my (stupid) behavior was no different than what I was doing when I was a travel influencer on Instagram.
I put all my self-worth dependent on how many likes my pictures got.
Often this felt horrible.
One day I realized, I’m not going to hit a home run with every ‘perfect’ picture I post.
The same goes for writing on Medium.
Articles you write in an hour perform very well, whereas articles that took you hours for research etc. well… perform okay.
Moreover, my only tiger time (some moms call it wine time, but I don’t drink) is in the evening when I put my baby to bed.
Often I suffer from Mother’s block.
Sometimes I manage to write during the daytime, but these days are few and far between.
Dance like no one is watching
By writing online we are opening ourselves up to praise and criticism.
A few days ago, I received my first troll comments. They sucked off all my energy from one moment to the next.
Moreover, for the first time, 3 subscribers unsubscribed from my Medium email list. Maybe because I pumped out too much content? I don’t know. I’d love to ask them.
Additionally, I’ve wondered if maybe some people click on ‘Show less’ when they see my articles about writing on Medium although it’s really coming from a point of self-reflection, my wish to help others and grow together.
I’m thinking about going back to writing more about parenting, relationships, my daily family life, and so on… but my time is limited in the evening.
The marketer in me, well, is interested in how this freaking algo works and how to beat the game of online writing.
Do you know the saying ‘dance like no one is watching?
Meaning: being present and not overwhelmed or consumed by others’ expectations.
It means focussing on the WHY. Why did I start writing in the first place? What’s the purpose behind it?
To express myself, for having fun, for connection, for growing… for ME.
When my husband recommended Medium to me eleven months ago, my goal was to earn $5 — my Membership fee.
Still, something has changed. I want to build my dream online business and coach others to achieve their goals.
It’s not just a side hustle anymore. It’s more than this.
Final Takeaway
There’s one writer I really adore.
It’s Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles.
She writes from the heart and seems to be in the flow when she writes — without overthinking the process and the outcome.
She’s making others smile with her beautiful content.
So, quit looking at claps and stats so often, and try to focus on your WHY and writing more.
If you continue offering something to your audience that offers value, is educating, and engaging, I’m sure they will read it and keep following you.
I know oftentimes it feels so dang hard. Especially at the beginning of your writing journey.
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Just write, write, write like no one is watching!
You never know what your next article will bring — for you and your audience.
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