“I pour my heart and soul into every post—spending 10+ hours on it—and it makes me only $0.25! Screw Steemit, it's a waste of time.”

“Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out.”--Robert Collier

Let me preface all this by saying, this is merely MY opinion and you're welcome to differ in your beliefs. Although I may not necessarily agree with other peoples' opinions, they're free to voice them and I'll engage with them with the utmost respect...unless, of course, your behavior warrants that of a six-year-old disabled monkey.

In my post six days ago about common problems minnows frequently encounter, I came across a lot of complaints in the comments section about how minnows put their "all" into every post, then get discouraged after making only a few cents/dollars in return.

My friend Olga lost her iPhone 7 in Thailand...that's ALMOST as tragic as when minnows spend hours on a post that makes less than $1!

I must admit that I was very fortunate/blessed at the beginning of my Steemit run with my intro post getting to the top of the "trending" page. But nevertheless, based on my experience on both Steemit and YouTube, it seems as if minnows/newbies are simply not willing enough to put in the endless hours of work to reap any sort of benefits from this platform. Instead, they're looking for that sense of instant gratification, a trait commonplace in many millennials thanks to advancements in technology, swift telecommunications, and the rise of the internet, where almost everything is granted in the blink of an eye. @stackin wrote a great article about minnow entitlement here.

The more time I spend here on Steemit, the more I realize that this place is more about quality over quantity. To me--and again, this is just my opinion--it's also about the mindset you have coming into this place. Rather than focusing on the financial incentives Steemit provides, I've found that it's way more beneficial/enjoyable to view these monetary rewards as "supplemental rewards" rather than making it your "primary objective." @emperiumfx commented on my previously mentioned post, which I can't agree with more! He said:

"it can be overwhelming. .. and time consuming, but to me it is fun.”

@world5list, @offoodandart, @heyitshaas, and I have quickly discovered that Steemit can quickly turn into something like a full-time job, as there's always more work to be done (i.e., creating original content, replying to comments, commenting on other people's posts, upvoting, etc.). But just like any other job, it's easy to burn out unless you enjoy it and gain pleasure out of it.

This is Haas @steeminfrenchies sunbathing...don't be a sunbathing Haas 24/7. Put in the work!

Additionally, when starting several businesses, not every business will be a hit...the same goes for Steemit: not every post will be a hit. That's why it's always important to keep creating, testing testing testing, gathering data, etc. until you find a formula that works for you + an audience who stays engaged with your content. I don't mean to sound like a "guru" at all, but despite having done relatively ok, Rene @world5list and I are still constantly on the prowl; conducting endless hours of research to find out exactly "what works" and "what doesn't."

@cccmikey wrote:

I've tried posting a bunch of stuff but I know that I'm no celebrity and I have no real friends here, so I'm kinda using it as a diary for fun instead. If I had unique and useful I might be able to make a mark here, but I'm not a journalist etc.

While he may still only have a small following, it's this mindset that makes me believe he will succeed here on Steemit...because after all, success—no matter what medium/platform you choose to use—is all that we're looking for in the end, right?