1. The world does not need your content. But, if you do want to create it and share it, you should.
2. The chances that your content will make you famous, popular, lead to future jobs, untold opportunities and wealth etc., is low. We pay disproportionate attention to the few for whom it works out – better to assume you won’t hit the lottery.
That said, the chances are high that writing regularly will change your perspective and make you better. On a personal level, discipline in synthesizing and writing is one of those wonderful things that doesn’t seem to pay off for the longest time… until it does.
3. A useful mental model to aide your efforts in building that discipline is to write for two people. Write for yourself and one other person you can picture reading it (hi mom!). Once you internalize this, you won’t fret about optimizing every post, analyzing your followers, etc. An additional happiness tip – if you post on social media, check notifications once a day and never check your blog stats.
This is not to say you won’t look around from time to time and wonder what you need to do to build your “brand.” When you do, however, this mental model will remind you of what actually matters – your long term growth – and bring you back home.
(H/T Hunter Walk and Matt Mullenweg for inspiring #1 and #3)
A Learning a Day 