No doubt newbies have read countless number of posts with the beginners guide, however, what they might not have come across is this one thing, no, two things, let's say three things that had made me learned in the weirdest ways and the rule is simple- break the rules and learn the consequences, experience teaches you better. I can hear the feeble heart beating, it's only a downvote, it doesn't kill. Thomas Edison, a man who invented the electric bulb called his mistakes "ways that don't work" so you'll learn the ways that don't work and through this means know the ones that work.
I call this guide the ultimate guide because you never get to forget them and they do help anyone become exceptional, not just on the hive platform but other platforms that practice discipline. But before we begin, let me tell you my story, a very short story. In a quest to become a better writer, no, that's wrong, let's start again. In a quest to feel like a better writer, I copied the post of another on the internet without sourcing, no acknowledgement of any kind, and I got my first downvote. Moral lesson, don't feel unappreciated, it'll force you to go copy the work of others or make you quit the platform and this is where persistence and resilience comes in.
The first ultimate guide for newbies is, Do everything, and leave nothing behind. By everything I mean everything. People have talked about sticking to a niche and what you do best, believe me, you'll get stuck with no form of growth if you as a newbie resolve to stick to one niche and not try out new things. Knowing your niche is a good idea, but staying with it is a bad idea, you'll be discouraged even before you become known. One thing about not exploring other communities is that you remain dormant, unknown, and there are already thousands of people in your niche doing better. My advice is, fly like a bird, explore, soar beyond your niche and learn of lands where pastures dwell.
The second ultimate guide is, Make friends. I don't know how, whether through engagement, announcement, posters and campaigns, but just to make friends. It's the friends you make that helps your hive journey go smoothly. You have someone who encourages when everything goes south and you have someone you can laugh with when everything goes well. I have friends with whom we discuss about the hive platform, sometimes we remind each other to make a post and do other engagements and this makes it easier. If you want to go far, go together, no one is self-made, you need someone to walk with
And the final guide is, No one is going to teach you everything, be free to try new things. I know the issue of engagement, no plagiarism, being original, being dedicated, etc. has been discussed by several users, no need to hit on it. Feel free to learn the hard way even if it means getting kicked one or twice, you learned anyway and that's the goal.
@hivenaija community. The contest is opened for participation