Why You Should Stop Checking Your Medium Stats and Just Write

Overchecking stats is a bad habit that may distract you from writing

Are you a new writer? If you are, then the odds are that you check your stats often.

Don’t worry. A lot of new writers do it. Even some of the most prominent writers still do it too, but they are strategic about it.

The only problem with continually checking stats is that if we don’t use it for analytical purposes, then we will most likely become consumed in it.

Stats will consume you

If you are continually checking how your articles are doing, then you may not feel like you can write well if you’re not meeting your goals. The numbers game we lock into psychologically give off good energy or bad energy.

On the flip side, hitting high milestones can be just as dangerous because you may find yourself with higher expectations. Some expectations can be far out, and it may be hard to flip that switch and not have high expectations.

The thing is not every article you write is going to be a hit. No matter how many hours you put into a piece doesn’t guarantee spectacular results. People may not find value in the information you just spent three hours writing… and that’s okay.

“Start writing no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” — Louis L’Amour

In my personal writing experience, I have found that some of my best-performing pieces have been the ones I didn’t expect to blow up.

When I went a few days without obsessively checking my stats, I wrote “Why I Write Every Single Day,” my best performing piece. This piece was curated in “Writing” and was published on “The Startup.”It was one of the most delightful days to wake up to. I felt like I was well on my way.

I won’t lie. I felt on top of the world. In my mind, I believed that I found the recipe to post successful articles consistently. Ever since then, I’ve only had one or two posts that performed close to that high of a tier.

As I write this piece, I’m fighting the urge to view my stats. It’s an itch that does not need to be scratched! I tell myself , “Just write” over and over again. That’s the best way to improve.

Work on these things instead of checking stats

• Brushing up on understanding Medium Curation Guidelines & article optimization
• Reading more articles and engaging with other writers
• Self-promoting on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.
• Writing more consistently and coming up with pieces to write

Look for these things if you do check your stats

At some point, we are going to break your discipline and eventually check the stats. It’s inevitable.

Here’s what we should look for if we do check the stats

Read ratio

The higher the read ratio, the more valuable the reader found your writing. Holding the attention of a reader from start to finish is not easy, but very possible if the structure is satisfying to read or massive value is shared.

Member read time

If you plan on making money through Medium’s Partner Program, it will behoove you to check in on how many members read your work.

Doing so will allow you to make a plan to either improve your writing. The Medium community is incredible, and if you give smaller writers a chance, you can realize that everyone can offer valuable information.

You can boost member engagement by personally engaging with bigger writers and writing genuine comments. Join the conversations! People who frequently comment elaborate and offer even more in-depth insight, which is well worth checking out.

Our lowest-performing articles

We can’t always focus on the good. We must acknowledge the bad too.

Did all of the world’s greatest athletes didn’t get where they are just because they’re naturally gifted?

Nope.

They spend hours studying the film of themselves, the greats, and their opponents, which help prepare them for competitions. Through studying others, you too, can learn what you should emphasize or avoid.

The stats can speak to people in a lot of ways. It can tell them their writing is hard to follow. Stats can tell someone that their title isn’t captivating enough. Or it could tell the writer that they need to brush up on grammar and organization skills.

You could write elements of each article in a Venn diagram and see what you could do better.

Those things that you may adjust include: using more bullet points, using fewer quotes, speaking in the active voice, using one image instead of 3, and the list goes on.

The road to growing our followings on Medium is a journey we will all go through at a different pace. Don’t compare yourself to the writers who make it big in the first month. Your time will come if you stay the course.

Notice the patterns. They are there! Find what works and emphasize that feature in your craft. Cut out the bad habits you start to notice and learn from mistakes.

Stats can be discouraging, but they don’t have to be.

You can do this! Your writing deserves more time than a stats page.

Fight the urge to check your stats and just write.