Goals & Perspective

Yesterday, April 30, 2020, I celebrated my 2nd highest day in readership (41) with a 90% jump from the day before and a 44% increase to my daily average since I started this account on March 31, 2020. I’m not sure if it was because of my piece, but I’m appreciative of any progress. Thank you to my readers and followers!

Yesterday’s update from Dr Mehmet Yildiz was about communication. He used a fantastic quote from Anthony Robbins:

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

I think this quote is apropos as I grow as a writer and reader…

Yesterday morning, I wrote a piece entitled, I Need Some (Writer’s) Love & A Lift. I wrote it from a place of hope, reflection, curiosity, and ambition:

Hope — for my future and continued success as a writer on Medium with a 66% increase in Medium followers and a 76% increase in Twitter followers from April 13 to 25th comprised of mostly of Illumination/Medium members

Reflection — on the success and content of my 100+ published pieces as a ghostwriter versus my new iWrite pieces

Curiosity — analyzing the correlation between readership and followers and seeking feedback from the community

Ambition — wanting to learn and engage more with Illumination and Medium writers community

I’m writing this piece to add context to my previous piece and to fully reply to Rasheed Hooda’s comment:

“You can set whatever goals you like and have faith that things will fall in place. Having said that, focus 100% on your efforts, not the desired results. When you do that, your work will improve and your desired fulfilled.

Question: Why do you want 500 followers? What if it happens on May 16th, or July 4th, or on Christmas eve?”

I appreciate this response because it made me think more about goals and perspectives. I love feedback and look at my writing somewhat as a call and response. I learn so much from it and I love to learn

I won’t lie — at first, I took it as criticism, but then I had to remind myself that even it were, I literally asked for it. My Grandparents taught me to never ask for something unless I’m fully prepared to receive it. This lesson applies to questions, blessings, and everything in between.

To answer add to my initial response:

I would like 500+ followers by May 15th because followers = readers and I’d like to expand my audience while learning about and from other writers. However, if I don’t get them by May 15th, I won’t be devastated. I’ll keep working — but I think having goals and stating my intentions are good. Illumination is all about growth and support. This is my first month and I have 407 followers, so I think adding 93 more is a reasonable and obtainable goal.

The second reason I’d like more followers is as I stated, writing has become both a mental and monetary necessity. I write because it helps me share my voice, perspective and it’s therapeutic. However, I’m one of the many Americans who lost my job. I’m in quarantine and don’t have any other source of income —

I write (iWrite — my pen name) to help others as I help myself. I know nothing in life is free. I’m not asking for charity. I’m asking for reciprocity… I support others and I would like that support in kind, but I realistic and I won’t be imbittered if it doesn’t happen. These are strange times and everybody’s adjusting to new personal and professional changes. This is a learning experience. I’m working hard to perfect my craft and support others as I grow.

I love learning especially in a communal and collaborative setting and that’s one of the things I love the most about Illumination. This publication was formed to support and promote other writers on Medium and fosters community through consistent communication using various tools and platforms — with a focus on:

“DIVERSITY, SYNERGY, FUSION, SERENDIPITY”

I love getting our daily updates seeing the publication’s statistics and writer highlights. Yesterday, my piece was featured and I found this beautiful piece by Henery X (long)

I love that there are so many diverse voices, perspectives, stories and styles in Illumination. I’m trying to find my voice and focus and I’m happy to be part of such a talented and supportive community.

To have a publication that not only provides a platform to highlights and encourages EVERYONE’S work is refreshing yet extraordinary. I think most of us know writing and getting published is hard — sharing your words exposes us to criticism and rejection…

Illumination has been a breath of fresh air and the nest I need to learn and grow as expand my writing wings and venture into the world of other publications in and out of Medium . Illumination will be my first home where I know there’s love of the art and science of writing and support this beloved community…

With that being said, I know everyone brings their own isms, experiences, and perspectives to their writing — and when we read as well… I challenge us to reflect and acknowledge them before we offer feedback.

What are your preconceived notions about a subject, what are your biases and your ideas about place, agency and equity?

Illumination values diversity — but do you?

Do you find yourself only reading and supporting writers that look, sound or have your same values or do you step out of your comfort zone to read and learn from different writers?

What I value most are the connections! Each new reader and follower represents a new person, opportunity to learn and (hopefully) develop a new relationship... Like this publication, I use data and statistics to inform my work. Goals help me manage my expectations and serve as a great motivator and a source of inspiration when I make progress or meet or exceed them…

John Donne said, “No Man Is An island”, and John Heywood said, “many hands make light work”… As I said before, I’m here to help others as I help myself…

That’s my perspective — what’s yours?