I Failed Steemit: Three Mistakes You Should Avoid
I took a break from Steemit this summer. A long break. A much-needed break, where I (mostly) stepped away from all things digital and spent time focusing on my family, basking in the summer sun and reconnecting with nature. It was lovely, and I don’t regret a single moment of it.
We all need a break sometimes.
But when I returned to Steemit this past week, something had changed. I felt disconnected from the community, from the many relationships I had begun to form. I felt like I was brand new here, as though I was starting this journey all over again. I began to worry that taking a break was a mistake. I began to fear that I had been away too long, that perhaps Steemit had forgotten about me.
Melodramatic? Maybe. But not entirely wrong.
I still don't regret taking a break. But I now realize that I could have done it a lot better. Here's are three things I did wrong, and what I learned in the process.
I disengaged from the community
For the most part, I stopped creating new content for Steemit over the summer. That's fine. But I also stopped reading other people's content. And I stopped engaging in comments and discussions. I ghosted Steemit. I disconnected from the community. And now that I've returned, I feel like I've walked into a class reunion and am trying to make small talk with people I haven't spoken to in 20 years.
I care about the success of this site and as a result, I feel it's my responsibility to encourage those who participate in it by actively supporting their work. Plus, I really enjoy reading and commenting on the content shared here. While I absolutely loved reconnecting with family and friends in-person during my social media break, I missed the online community I discovered here.
I failed to share the wealth
Since I wasn't reading content or engaging with my fellow Steemians, it's no surprise that I also failed to upvote. Now, I know my allotment of the Steemit pie is small, but it's still so so important that we all do our share to ensure other content creators are justly rewarded. It may only be a few cents here and there, but it still makes a difference to Steemit's financial success and it's membership's morale.
I resorted to shit posts
Ok. Not everything I posted this summer was garbage. In fact, I think many of the few posts I managed to create were pretty good. But many were also crap -- and certainly not up to the standard I'd like to maintain.
Part of this is because I'm still trying to figure out who I am as a Steemian, and what I have to offer the community, so there's sure to be some trial and error as I test out different things. But the biggest reason I resorted to tossing up some shit posts this summer was because I gave in to my vacation guilt and the anxiety-driven need to do something even remotely productive. Because sometimes, even though our souls reassure us that taking a break is a good thing to do, our brains simply can't shut off the ingrained message that we must always be doing something.
Courtesy of GraphicStock.com
I know I'll take breaks from Steemit in the future, but next time, I'll try not to cut myself off from the site entirely. I may not post new content, but I can certainly spare a few minutes of time to upvote and comment on the work of others.
You cut yourself off for a reason @redhens - there was something your soul was trying to teach you. Once you realise what that was, you'll realise that people like me always knew that you were never truly gone from Steemit :) UV/RS.
Wise words from a wise soul. 🙂
Welcome home.<3
I reckon it's your turn for a Steemit break these days! ..do come back soon :)
I started here in June while I was off work. When work came in July, I thought I would have to step away, but found that simply parsing down to who I really liked helped immensely. Great advice.
"Because sometimes, even though our souls reassure us that taking a break is a good thing to do, our brains simply can't shut off the ingrained message that we must always be doing something."
Boy, do I identify with that one. This is why I've taken one vacation in the last 15 years. /notabragatall
@redhens
Such a lovely post you shared here... And showing us how one can stay in touch even if the person is away on vacation...thanks for sharing this and you truly have a great heart of a true steemian in yiur resolve... Keep it up
Thank you.
welcome dear... you did well...find time also to check my 2 latest blog posts
regards
Sometimes you need a break to re-center yourself on your true goal.
We all need break sometimes. It is virtually impossible to continue something indefinitely without any taking gap in-between. Speaking from experience, taking a break freshens up your perspective. It is only a matter of time until you feel at home again. Trust me on this. :-)
Taking a break is always a MUST and am glad you g0t to get away and enjoy real LIFE ;)
Welc0me Back!
I feel you @redhens! My motivation is been lacking on Steemit this summer also. The up-and-downs on Steam it can be hard sometimes, but I believe we're going to see great things from this social platform!
I totally agree!
It just takes some consistency to get back on track again, especially with an ever increasing userbase! :)
I felt like that after taking a weekend off from Steemit. There must have been some withdrawal symptoms when you went cold turkey.
Absolutely. It's hard to shake the feeling that you've missed something, or are now too far out of the loop. I'm sure it won't take long till I feel reconnected again though.
You have missed something, but evenly if you're actively steeming, you constantly miss things as well. Unless you stick to the NEW tab, most of those posts will just float away into the ether. We're always missing something. You'll be up to speed in no time.