Steemit Beginner's Series Featurette: Chart Your Course Challenge
Taking a week away from Steemit put into perspective a few elements I'd be missing:
- Why am I on Steemit? I started in January and went 110%, which is common for a multipotentialite like myself.
- What is important for me to publish on Steemit, and why? My personal blog is a stylish yet stifling platform where few people read my content and even fewer engage. Steemit gave me a megaphone and a generous community who seem to appreciate most everything I share. Where do I draw the line between what I spend time publishing and what I keep simply for the memories?
- Where do I want my activities on Steemit to lead me, and when do I want to get to these milestones? This is a big one, which I have addressed earlier in my What Would I Do with 5000 SP? post and beyond, but with the drop in Steem price and my writing career seeming to come to a screeching halt... the lack of clarity made me less inclined to swim in murky waters at all.
Steemit Beginner's Series was created to share my journey as a case example for new Steemians to examine, pull inspiration, and find new ways to enjoy their time on the platform.
Upon logging back in to prepare for my week, I came across a post by @shadowspub that I instantly new would lead to a fitting Beginner's Series installment.
Originally created by @dreemsteem, the Chart Your Course Challenge is a succinct, compelling, and easy-to-complete outline to setting Steemit goals.
I encourage Steemians of all experience levels to evaluate your publishing routines, expectations, and goals with this fun exercise.
Rules:
- What is your Steemit goal? (In one sentence, make it as specific and as measurable as possible)
- Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting
- Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.
- Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
- And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!
- Challenge 3-5 people to chart their course!
- Use the #chartyourcourse tag
I am happy to add my entry to this challenge and would like to note:
challenges + contests are my favorite way to join and cultivate community on this platform. Each of us has the opportunity to learn about and learn from one another, and these commonalities lead to friendship and growth.
What is your Steemit goal? (In one sentence, make it as specific and as measurable as possible)
In the next twelve months, I will create my Steemit blog as an income-generator that serves as the experimental sharing, feedback, and development ground for my creative publishing career.**
Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting
- Curating: earns, fosters relationships, boosts others, educates me, improves Steemit, super enjoyable.
- Commenting: all of the above, sans earns in most cases.
- Posting: all of the above and very important to developing myself as a creative works publisher.
I've actually given this tremendous consideration. While I implore you to keep it simple I'm going to expand on this topic just a bit.
My Steemit Activity Priorities, in other words, I balance my time between:
In no particular order
- Posting content
- Curating and creating [curated] content
- Viewing and engaging with others’ content
- Discovering new communities
- Investing in existing communities
- Collaborating on content
- Learning about the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and major platform players
- Improving your profile/position on the platform
Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.
It's impossible for me to name just five, as I am grateful to be accepted into multiple communities that invest generously in my potential. I can only hope I can repay each in-kind as I grow.
- The Alliance + The Classroom (@thealliance, @syndicate)
- Curie (@curie)
- Steem Sugars (@steemsugars)
- Team Girl Powa (@teamgirlpowa)
- Writer's Block (@thewritersblock)
- Isle of Write (@isleofwrite)
- 5-Minute Freewrite (@freewritehouse)
- Steemit Ramble (hosted by @shadowspub)
- Promo-Mentors (@promo-mentors)
- Steem Engine (@thesteemengine, hosted by @ethandsmith)
- DTube (@dtube)
And of course, I cannot neglect to mention my dear Ladies of Steemit (@ladiesofsteemit). Though it is not a Discord community you can join, it's a movement you can bolster that supports + showcases the female voices of the blockchain.
Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
One Month
Host a 1000 follow celebration contest! My lovely friend @aussieninja devised a very silly contest that I'm happy to implement once my moving craziness settles down. If you're one of those 1000+ people (and bots) who follow along, you are loved! Even if you're not, you're still loved. : )
Three Months
Publish one of my five-minute freewrite (flash fiction) or other written + publish Steemit original in a literary journal! This will be a first for me... but I'm up for the challenge. I will continue writing daily, experimenting with flash fiction, poetry, and (I can't believe I'm writing this out loud) CHILDREN'S LITERATURE! I have long-dreamed of publishing a self-illustrated children's book, even though I can't draw and have never written a children's book before. Steemit is my open forum for your thoughts and feedback on my projects. So please, join me!
Six Months
Solidify my curator status with continued 2.5+ Curie scores and landing in the top 10% of @abh12345's curator's league standings! While I'm nowhere near either of these yet, curation is a key component of my Steemit engagement. I derive immense satisfaction from finding talented authors, directing rewards toward undervalued content, and using whatever voting power I have to cultivate goodness on Steemit.
Twelve Months
Pay my bills and myself a living wage with Steem. Elizabeth Gilbert's poignant words have stuck with me:
“But to yell at your creativity, saying, “You must earn money for me!” is sort of like yelling at a cat; it has no idea what you’re talking about, and all you’re doing is scaring it away, because you’re making really loud noises and your face looks weird when you do that.”
Steemit is not the avenue for my creativity to make money for me. Steemit is the grounds for learning, cultivating community + support, and investing in others. Through that, I will hone my craft messily and through many tries. Thankfully, you can earn money on any posts, even the ones that aren't perfect, if your community benefits from your sharing. To cultivate that community, who would with their voting power and engagement, support the development and honing of my craft, would be the highest honor I could achieve on Steemit.
And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!
Grasshopper Pie!
Where have you been all my life!? This stuff is amazing. At each milestone, I will reward myself with Grasshopper Pie!
I would like to invite my fellow new-ish Steemians to join me in this challenge. I'd love to learn your goals, see your perspective, and watch the positive ripples your sharing has on your community.
- @aussieninja
- @malloryblythe
- @lilyraabe
- @coachjj
- @big.mama
- @cailliyork
- @robertandrew
- @borrowedearth
- @aislingcronin
- @hazem91
- @artizm
Resounding thanks to @dreemsteem for this challenge!
If you haven't met @dreemsteem, she's a Steemit original. Host of the wildly fun weekly Treasure Hunts and many other self-created activities, she's a must-follow if you enjoy having a good time online.
Have you not yet been tagged in this challenge? Take it upon yourself to join in! Post a link to your challenge in the comments below if you're inspired to write on. I'm excited to get to know you and your goals!
All photos from Unsplash save for the pie, which was taken (and eaten) by moi.
Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.
I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. You might have found me through the Ladies of Steemit curation initiative, showcasing the female voices on the Steemit platform. Let's hang out on the blockchain and see where it takes us.
Proud member of
banner by @bearone
My word, this is amazing!
You've definitely put your last week to incredible use, and I love the idea of these quantifiable goals. The differentiation between earning while honing your craft versus earning from your creativity is astounding and yet very, very true. I've been doing exactly that the whole time and didn't even realise.... earning from your creativity might just be the last 1% of the journey where you've been earning the entire way.
That's an amazing viewpoint and one I think a lot of Steemians, especially brand new Steemians could benefit from. It's so easy to see the posts earning big money and try to replicate, but it's the process and journey, not the end product.
Thanks for the tag... looks like I've got a lot of thinking to do... which is great because I was already thinking a lot about my Steem future, this will force me to be clear about it.
Thanks for the compliment, but I've always seen myself as way more manly than lovely. I guess that hasn't quite come through yet...
Goodness, had to bring gender into it @aussieninja! Men can't be lovely? ☺️ I look forward to seeing your goals. I have a feeling yours will blow mine out of the water!
Oh men can be lovely!
Lots of men I know are lovely... my Dad is one of the nicest and most generous people I know... I'm just saying that I'm not that lovely, I'm mostly heaps manly.
You will have a great success on steemit my dear Amelia!! I am sure about that, just look at what you already have reached here! I´m following your journey and will set up big goals for myself too! Thank you for being such an inspiration!
Thank you so much @vegan.niinja! I look forward to seeing what you create - tag me in your goals or share a link in the comments here.
HOW did I miss this??? Oh. probably because I've been in the hospital with the hubby since last Wednesday - trying to figure out how to screw my brain back in! LOL
no... i did NOT sustain a brain injury. LOL
My husband did a Superman off the handlebars of his mountain bike and the last 7 days (exactly) have been a myriad of doctor's appointments, drives, surgery and recovery! and THAT'S why i'm trying to figure out which way to screw my brain back in. it's righty-tighty, lefty-loosey, right??? LOL
My dear @ameliabartlett - FABULOUS job on this challenge!!!! I am ALL FOR the fun easy challenges - because they really do a wonderful job of letting people take a quick peek into your world! It's a quick way to relate with others, and I secretly love those challenges! hahaha
but..... this one is a hard one - not so fun! But sooooooo incredibly necessary to make that map for your Steemit success!
And you did a very detailed, focused, brilliant job! Bravo!!!!
I love how you expounded on the three aspects of posting, curating, and commenting! There is so much more to Steemit success, isn't there??? But I agree - simplicity is key (for challenges! hehehe)
and more we have in common???? I also have a silly contest brewing for the 1000 follower mark! hehehehe I will have to take hints from yours as you've already passed that mark and i'm still approaching! hehehe
and yet another! children's literature!!! I love it!!! I have 3 children's books published (IRL) and they are my most fulfilling accomplishment to date! (excluding producing my children of course hehehehe) There is something so special about getting down on the ground with children to share a world with them - right??? ahhhhhh. makes my heart sing!!! :)
and as far as the Treasure Hunt.... what a fun trip that's been! hehehehe if anyone DOES want to join... next week is the last for a while. (But probably will have some exciting prizes... so not a bad time to join hehehe) We will do another Hunt series later this year! Though its SUCH a good thing - we need to be spacing out the fun ;) There is such a concept as "too much of a good thing". I don't want my pirates to overindulge on the "rum"! hehehehe
@dreemsteem, you are hilarious! I absolutely loved this challenge and I'm very glad you enjoyed my rendition. I tend to go overboard (pirate pun intended 💁🏻♀️) and your challenge was the perfect reign-in for sharing my goals without being overly exhaustive. Plus, it helped me get my head on straight with how I will move forward on Steemit without burning out!
overboard.... you're so punny!hehehe arghhhhhhhhhh pirate humor!! LOLOLOLOLOL
love it - and i'm glad :)
I love this! I have been thinking a LOT recently about what my goals are with steemit and what I want to do here, and how it fits into the rest of my life. Thank you for posting and the challenge, going to think on this and hop in! :)
Glad this will be of some inspiration for you! Folks like you, me, and some of our active comrades might be feeling a little out of whack after months of going 110% and then prices tanking, folks dropping off, etc. This activity helped me to get clear on how I wanted to engage with Steemit so I could maintain the same level of enjoyment (if not even more!) as when I first began building my blog.
very useful and clarifying way to map out one's purpose and plan here! great idea and you've got a wonderful plan here, cheers to your success!
Thank you, @natureofbeing! My responses were largely inspired by your recent post about knowing why we are on Steemit. After a few months of going very heavily with posting, commenting, and curating, I started to feel burned out and like I'd lost the why. Your post inspired me to think deeply about what I give AND what I get on Steemit and how to forge a balanced routine that will sustain my interest. Thank you for always dropping by my blog! 💓
wow, so great to hear that my post offered some support for your own clarification...you just made my night :-))
This is brill! Goal setting and measuring achievement (using my league as one method thank you!) is really cool.
Well done on your achievements and good luck this year!
Thank you! By the way, @abh12345 - I think I had some delegation activity that kicked me out of last week's curation league. Can you let me know that I'm signed-up to be part of it for this week? And, if there are any further steps I should take, happy to do so.
YAY for delegation :D
Yes you are on the list until you tell me otherwise. It may be another week until you are visible in league 1 as delegation can skew the figures for up to 14 days. You'll be in the top 60 of league 2 if you type like a goodun though! :D
Great post! It inspired me to clarify my goals on Steemit too, since I just joined and still figuring things out. The 1 month 3, 6 and 12 are really great to begin with and since I am really goal oriented, will help me come up with a plan. Thanks @ameliabartlett !
Thank you @ameliabartlett . Wow, you really thought this out and very impressive. I really need to get mine written down as well.
Thank you for the motivation :)
Challenged accepted, finished , and published this morning :)
You did... and it was fantastic :)
Glad I could see yours too! Keep up the great work, @robertandrew. ☺️
Oh, this sounds like something I should do. I know it helps to have a plan in place. I finally feel like I've found... my groove? so to speak here and although I"m still feeling it out, as far as where I want it to go, this would be a great way for me to solidify some of that. Thank you for the great inspiring post!
Yes, though I do remember you recently publishing your Steemit workflow (which I loved) so this could be a nice addition!
Awesome article. I actually found yours after I posted my Chart your course post and then clicking on the tag to see which ones were trending. So nice that yours found your way to the top. Looking forward to a way future post to see if we ever met our goals