15 SBD Giveaway, Perfectionism, and Steemit Goals Update
I hate making goals because failing often crushes me.
I carry around a pretty strong pull towards perfectionism. If I am not certain of success, I tend to not even try. This is not how I want to live. I have been challenging myself to break out of the rhythm.
7 1/2 weeks ago I set a Steemit goal for myself.
I set out to write one quality post each day for 100 days in a row. I wrote about it here. I am little over half way through and I thought this would be a nice place to stop and reflect. Also, I've been looking for a good reason to hold a meaningful giveaway/contest.
In my original post I identified FOUR obstacles that I expected to contend with.
- Weekends
- Work
- Burnout
- Phoning it in
- Weekends
- Work
- Burnout
- Phoning it in
Let's just say that I was right and each of those became on issue at some point. More on that later.
Here are the numbers!
| Stats | SP* | SBD** | Followers | Reputation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before | 1.637 | .993 | 80 | ~34 |
| Now | 103.848 | 18.727 | 482 | 51.8 |
*In calculating my SP, I am subtracting the amount that I bought on an exchange with outside money (about 200 SP). My actual current SP is ~302.
** This does not include the SBD that I have donated to worthy causes (about 12 SBD).
This is not overnight stardom, but I am really satisfied with the results of the last 7 weeks.
Still, the most important growth I've seen is less quantitative.
I started blogging on Steemit because I was hungry for a platform. Yes, I wanted to hone my writing skills and engage with some awesome people (which is definitely happening), but I needed it to be more than that for me. I needed a place that would force me to do the well-digging work of turning feelings into words. I want to explore meaningful topics from my own life and the lives of others. Things like pain, trauma, healing, parenting, spirituality, addiction, friendship, and marriage. I care most about these things.
I have so little experience with any kind of creative writing/blogging
So I really did not know what to expect. It is a big thing for me to feel like I have actually created some content that is worth reading (or watching). I am happy to be at that place.
But it hasn't been perfect.
Since I started this goal 52 days ago, I have published 44 posts, and a couple of those probably shouldn't count. Some quick math will tell you that I am "under-performing" my goal. Perhaps more interesting though is the 12 day gap that I just came off of. I hit a huge block that was kind of a perfect storm of anxiety, heavy work load, busy family life, and depression. I hadn't run out of ideas, I just couldn't bring myself to write. It was an interesting and difficult two weeks. I am on the other side of it, but expect similar encounters in the future.
I want to appreciate the difficult times too. They teach invaluable lessons
I am not perfect, and frankly, I don't want to be. Our rough edges make us interesting. Steemit is helping me to accept and learn from the times when I am not where I want to be.
Enough of that. On with the contest!
(I'm not mad if you scrolled right down to this part)
There are some rules, so read carefully.
That's right, you could win all 15 SBD.
Here are the general requirements that apply to ALL three parts:
Rules, Rules, Rules
- You must upvote this post and follow me. Yes, you can unfollow me after the contest, but I hope you'll stick around. :D
- Resteeming is NOT NECESSARY, but it will earn you an extra .5 SBD if you are selected. Also, it will earn you a virtual hug. Who doesn't love a good hug?
- If there is a high volume of top-notch entries, the reward for each category will be split into 1st (3.5 SBD) and 2nd (1.5 SBD) place prices.
- You must follow the format of the categories below. That's it. Oh, and have fun.
Contest closes after this post payout.
First Way To Win: Your Favorite Post (5 SBD)
I have really enjoy creating content on Steemit. Not everything is a all-star, but I am actually proud of most of my content. But that's my opinion.
I want to hear from you. So here is the question: What is your favorite post of mine and why? You can replace "favorite" with most meaningful, engaging, entertaining, etc.
Here are some of my favorites, but you can choose any one of my posts:
Sunday Soul Tap #4: Reckless Love
Lessons Half Learned #2: Let 'Em Dance
The Women I Know: International Women's Day Free-write Poem
Lessons Half Learned #3: How Did I Become an Angry Dad?
Sunday Soul Tap #3: Into The Wilderness
Steps of Healing #3: Fireside with You
Steps of Healing # 2: I Will Rise From The Ashes
You've Become My Safe Space—Original Poetry
Steps of Healing #1: My Symbol
Leave a comment on this post explaining your pick with a link to the post that you picked.
Make it clear in your comment that it is not a category 3 entry. They can be combined in one comment, but should be delineated.
Second Way To Win: Set A Personal Goal (5 SBD)
If you read the first part of this post, you'll know that I suck at setting goals. But, it is pretty darn important to personal growth and something I want to continue to improve on. I also want to encourage you to do the same.
Here is what I need from you: create a post (not just a comment on this post) setting a goal for yourself. It does not have to be a steemit-related goal. Mine is, but you do you. It has to be personal and clear. Something that will require you to change your behavior in some measurable way, but it need not be large changes. Yes, non-measurables are important, but give us something to sink our teeth into--it also helps you stay accountable to yourself and others.
The post needs three things to qualify:
- somewhere in the title it has to say "Goals Contest." or something to that effect. I'm not gonna get uptight about it.
- Your post must have a link to this post.
- And you must tag me somewhere in your post.
@ssimkins9This will make sure that I can find your post.
For good measure, you might as well drop a link to your post in a comment here.
Third Way To Win: Give Me Some Feedback/Advice (5 SBD)
Listen, I am a total novice. I am learning as I go. So serve me up some wisdom here in a comment. This is a pretty broad category, but here is what I have in mind to get your juices flowing.
- Tell me what you think is working well for my blog and why.
- What isn't working and what should change.
- Advice related to titles, format, length, content.
- Tell me what you want to see more or less of.
- What do you think others want more or less of.
One thing I will be looking for from these entries is some inclination that you have at least skimmed my content.
Make it clear in your comment that it is not a category 1 entry. They can be combined in one comment, but should be delineated.
And there it is.
Thanks for stopping by and I am genuinely excited to see what you all come up with.
Until next time, be blessed.
Sam
Image Source: Archery, Just Say No, Sparks
Like most of you, I am to build my Steemit community. This takes work, but you are not without resources!
Steem Follower
Steem Engine
Mannabase is a cyrpto approach to Universal Basic Income.
Sign up now for your FREE weekly distributions of Manna
Full disclosure: it is a referral link.
I won't say you are under performing. 44 posts out of 52 is very much upto the task considering there are Sundays too xD
Hey! Thanks for your support. I am definitely not ashamed of coming through with about 85%. The real shameful thing was when I missed my first day a couple of weeks in, I had this urge to lie! I have some work to do around that compulsion.
Under Category 1, my favorite is https://steemit.com/spirituality/@ssimkins9/sunday-soul-tap-4-reckless-love. This post really gets my attention and touches on my own beliefs. This makes me think about one of the important lessons I've learnt during my elementary school years from my favorite teacher. She taught us that GOD is LOVE. I was 12 years old that time and I guess I did not fully understand what it actually meant. But, as I grew older, had a boyfriend, got married and had my son, reckless love just comes in naturally for me. But, when things get tougher and problems pour in like rain, it seems that the love I feel for the people who matter to me, for my family for that matter is being reduced to a conditional love. But, when I pray to God to remain in my heart and to never give up on me, it makes me do good things and make me again feel genuinely in love.
Awesome entry! Thanks for vulnerably sharing from your own life. And i can very much empathize.
It can be difficult to stay in a good place when life is throwing all kinds of things at you. Cheers to you for committing to the journey.
Thank you. I'm happy to come across your contest and learn that you are a lawyer at the same time. :) I just submitted my entry to Category 2 and glad I submitted my entry before time runs out.
Category 1: My favourite will be this https://steemit.com/spirituality/@ssimkins9/sunday-soul-tap-4-reckless-love
And i choose it because it is simple and yet touching that got me enlighten of love in a different way.
Thank you for your entry.
I enjoyed writing that post, so I am glad that you enjoyed reading it!
Well, this is just a great opportunity to catch up on your posts, I've been light on steemit the past few weeks.
My favorite was the rise from the ashes post. Reckless love was a close 2.
I thought this post was money, and I'm sad I missed it. The combination you did in this post was awesome, we got some history about Detroit, we got some personal details to learn about you and your struggles. The tattoo meaning and pic was sweet, I love the part about the semi colon being a pause where the sentence could have ended.
I think this post is a great idea man, awesome to go back and check out some of your stuff I missed. I might be copying this in the future. It's so hard to get on here everyday and crank out articles sometimes. I love it because I need an outlet too, but man is there some pressure to produce here. I think you're doing a great job and I really like the way you approach some of your articles.
Part 3: My advice is - You don't need my advice. Your blog is stellar man, it's one I really need to start paying more attention to. I feel like you are striking the right balance between parenting, personal life, and random posts about what interests you as far as news. I personally enjoy the family and personal articles, I can get my news elsewhere generally and people will sometimes repeatedly post the same thing as the nexy guy when it comes to crypto news.
My real advice is to just keep creating, do one a day, experiment with what works for you, not what everyone else says. This is your platform to do what you want with your writing and videos, the followers will come and you will eventually find your groove. You'll find the types of articles that work well as series and the topics your audience responds to. Looks like you already have some solid series going.
Sorry not sorry for my weak advice, I honestly don't think you need to plan it our too much, just go with the flow and keep up with your serialized content. You already have good direction.
One other small possibility is to swap your titles around, for example: Reckless Love - Sunday Soul Tap #4, I might play around with this idea in my own blog too since I do the same thing. I think the "reckless Love" part of the title is the catchy bit.
Part 2: I'll try to get this out tonight, I've been meaning to shout you out as well as a few other people.
Awesome contest, it's not nearly as basic as the guess the price one's always going around. Resteemed
Hey brother, thanks for the awesome comment!
Rise From The Ashes was one of my favorite posts to write for the exact reason that you highlighted: I got to combine different things that are meaningful to me, but also meaningful on different levels. I have been trying to avoid getting into a research mode with my blog, but that one allowed me to spend sometime fact-checking myself because I was not just sharing my story.
And thank you for the kind words. I have definitely been stumbling my way through and learning at just about every turn. I like the idea of switching the title around. I may even drop the number because it isn't so much an ordered series as it is a brand or theme.
Thanks for entering all three categories! You're the first to do that. I look forward to reading your goals post.
Cheers.
First!
Haha, no problem man, you do great work, get ready for a shoutout soon
Part 2: https://steemit.com/contest/@jakeybrown/dancing-and-diet-goal-contest-entry
Category 1: The Women I Know: International Women's Day Free-write Poem
https://steemit.com/internationalwomensday/@ssimkins9/the-women-i-know-international-women-s-day-free-write-poem
That's my favourite because it speak all about women, I was so touch when I read it because having soft spot for women is one of my weakness and it isn't because am in love of which am not but because I grew up with a woman and I know the struggle she past through before putting food on the table for her children. The rate of abuse of women in my country is much because sometimes I see the way men treat their women and I ask myself what's she still doing with him, sometimes a father won't even care about the feeding of the children but the women will go extra mile to make sure the children eat. So many things happen around here which makes me think women don't really get the praises they deserve. Women are our mother, our sister, our wife and not to forget they were created from we men so they deserve more and I think they deserve to be celebrated every day not just a particular day.
Thank you @drayhazz for the engaging comment!
I totally hear what you're saying and really agree. Having four daughters myself, this concept really hits hard. Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing from the heart.
What country are you from?
Catagory1 :- My favorite is
https://steemit.com/spirituality/@ssimkins9/sunday-soul-tap-4-reckless-love
This post,hear you give detailed details about love vs recklesslove.It attract me a lot.
Thanks for stopping by and entering the contest! I really enjoyed that post too. It is something I still need to be reminded of often.
Cheers.
Thankyou very much
Happy to submit my entry for Category 2. Here is the link. Thanks. :)
https://steemit.com/life/@ailenepm/goals-contest-hosted-by-ssimkins9
Awesome entry. Thanks for posting!
Greetings! I am a minnow exclusive bot that gives a 5X upvote! I recommend this amazing guide on how to be a steemit rockstar! I was made by @EarthNation to make Steemit easier and more rewarding for minnows.
As a follower of @followforupvotes this post has been randomly selected and upvoted! Enjoy your upvote and have a great day!