First of all, hello to all my fellow Steemians, whether or not I've met you or come across your posts yet.
I don't know how long you've been posting, but I'll bet if you're anything like me (or others on here) you probably started on Steemit because of the revolutionary concept of being paid to do what most sites won't do....pay you for your time and effort on their site. Yes, YOUR time is valuable. It is after all, how they (sites like Facebook) generate their money. Every moment spent by you is being recorded to use as advertising fodder. So along comes Steemit and you're saying to yourself :
Finally! A site that is willing to pay me for my time. Why didn't someone think of this earlier!
Great concept right? You're damn skippy is is! So you (like myself) set on signing up and writing your first post that will make you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Still sounds great! So you upload your post and wait for the bucks and upvotes to start pouring in. This is so easy! Not really, because you soon realize that you have to put in work and provide something other than info on what you had for dinner two years ago. LOL. You begin to see that it takes a bit of learning and also time. Time to write, get followers, get reputation, and yes earn that much wanted Steem power. Frustration starts settling in. Didn't get anyone to follow you, no one to upvote your post, didn't get resteemed, didn't even have a whale speed by and splash you with money. Don't worry, there's still hope...and yes, I have to say it: Time.
So, here's what I've leaned from being on here for a few days.
Take a breather, just relax and enjoy the ride.
Start learning all you can about how the system works.
Don't spend your time being a "Whaler". If you provide good content, it'll be rewarded at one time or another, no need to try so hard. No one likes a kiss a** anyway. Wink.
Make sincere and (hopefully) long lasting connections with others. Read and truly care about what you want this community to be about. It can be so much more than just a way to make a buck.
Lastly, don't let that monkey stay on your back when you're getting a little antsy about how things are going. Like the beginning of any good trip, getting there is also part of the experience.
It's now time to set your goals, but make sure that they are realistic ones. Start small, Rome as they say wasn't built in a day. Neither was Steemit. So, enjoy yourself and write about what you love, or just something that inspires you at the moment. Grab that elation and put some words (and maybe a picture) behind it. The rewards will be a bonus. Happy posting Steemians! If I've left anything out or you have anything to add from your own experience, please feel free to comment below. Remember guys, it's always better to build a bridge than to jump off of one!
