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I Stepped Outside My Comfort Zone Here on Medium and Learned a Valuable Lesson
Know yourself and your motivations.
Sometimes you have to admit that you’re wrong — not necessarily about your opinions, but about the way you presented them. I just learned a valuable lesson here on Medium. I lost sight of my priorities and strayed from why I joined this platform to begin with.
When I joined Medium in July 2020, my primary intention was to develop a more regular writing routine. I’m working on a novel, and it’s a slow process. I had hoped to continually improve upon my craft by writing shorter essays and developing a cadence in publishing them. Another benefit could include the development of a following — so that if my novel ever does get published, I’ll already have somewhat of an audience. And earning some money from my writing is appealing too.
Over time, I started comparing my metrics to those of other Medium writers. Although I am building a steady following, most of my essays don’t get very many reads and my earnings are nothing to brag about. With the exception of one article that went viral more than a year ago, I’m lucky if I hit the requisite amount to receive a monthly payout. That shouldn’t bother me, right?
