Goal #1: To pay a month of mortgage with Steemit. Goal #2: Retire.

Why not, right?
Seems like a heck of a leap to go from paying a single month's worth of mortgage right into a retirement plan, doesn't it? What do you think? Feasible?

I'm sure that may all depend on the future of Steemit, but assuming things continue wearing merrily forward, and assuming one can play the game in a way that works in one's favor, I say let's do this.
Personally, I'm pushing 40 and I've not had thoughts of being able to retire pre-60, but with innovations like this place it seems as though there's no limit to what's possible. So, I've decided to use the following 3 guidelines for myself on Steemit. Granted, I'm just getting started, but so far things are turning out swimmingly. :D

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY.

Sure, there's a lot of crap to wade through when you get in, but that's a good sign. All the best rewards come at the price of jumping in and getting educated. You can't get educated without getting dirty, and you sure as hell can't earn your keep here without getting educated. You've got to keep that brain exercised and working to keep the ideas flowing.

CATER TO THE MASSES.

Don't just post willy-nilly. THINK about your content. Is it relevant? When you look at what's trending and you see what posts are out there getting attention, getting upvotes, and making money, is your content in line with it? Or is it just more of the spam we keep talking about? I'm not asking you if you're posting the same stuff you see trending, just whether or not your content is relevant.

CENSOR YOURSELF.

This isn't Facebook. It's not Twitter. And that's a blessing. It's high time we had a place like this which rewards you for your content. Steemit adds the one thing missing from all other social media platforms - a brain-mouth filter. You know, that little voice in your head that kicks in when you have a thought which could be destructive if expressed vocally in a public, face-to-face setting and says, "You will deeply regret life if you let that thought slip out of your mouth. Shut up quick." Well, now there's a monetary incentive to activate that little guy on the internet.