Honor Your Reader’s Time
Why would we make it harder for ourselves? Especially when we can’t be certain of success. At least if we put in minimal effort it doesn’t feel like much of a blow to our self-esteem if it doesn’t pan out they way we hoped.
The mix of skimming through career oriented Medium articles and the rich aroma of my morning coffee sparks my ambition. As I scroll I’m inundated with guides on generating passive income. I begin daydreaming of the day when I have passive income streams, which fuels my temptation to churn out brief articles in mere minutes. You know, the posts which have a total of two paragraphs, yet they receive an overwhelming number of claps. Those authors frequently boost about their income streams through The Medium. Why not follow this strategy? Clickbait articles, despite their limited substance, have proven to be effective.
It’s challenging to resist the easy path when we are constantly exposed to individuals seemingly contributing the least substance, still earning the most. Sometimes I stumble across the articles by authors who boost on their “I wrote an article every day for a month” but as you skim through them, they lack effort. You’re unphased as you close the article, this is what we’ve come to expect on the internet. Your time has just been exploited for their gain, a seemingly mellow dramatic statement, until you quantify the amount this occurs. But the internet has enabled us to blindly disregard the value of others’ time, disconnection removing any sense of responsibility.
Bitterness is not the desired tone to come across in this post. The desire tone is one of understanding. I understand the incentive to crank out articles, the hope to somehow gain a footing on a saturated platform. Again, it’s hard to resist the urge to take the easy route, especially when flooded in a landscape of clickbait articles amplifying the path of least resistance. Why would we make it harder for ourselves? Especially when we can’t be certain of success. At least if we put in minimal effort it doesn’t feel like much of a blow to our self-esteem if it doesn’t pan out they way we hoped.
I love The Medium, which is why I’m writing this. I love discovering authors who really delve into their work, taking the time to curate unique, research driven, thorough content. I value this work immensely, it demonstrates a genuine commitment to enrich their readers lives, rather than simple use The Medium as a tool to “hopefully” earn income. And I naively dream that content of this caliber will one day flood my feed. Each article impressing me, intensifying my drive to craft exceptional content. Posts which perpetually amplify my desire to improve my writing in order to deliver more to the reader. Writing which captivates the reader and they become heavily engrossed in the article.
As I embark on a committed blogging journey on The Medium, I’m striving to truly appreciate any minute a reader gives me. However, striving to appreciate an individual's time in a virtual world, detached from any form of interaction, unless they choose to comment, is overtly difficult. To achieve this it’s fundamental to deliver a new piece of value in each paragraph — cut out unnecessary redundancy, be concise and most importantly, revise. I don’t say this lightly, you as a reader deserve my best effort.
I’ve consistently kept a journal since freshman year of high school. I am infatuated with writing, it’s the art I lose myself in. At this point I may fill a journal in a span of two months. My writing obsession lead me to the Medium and has sparked a desire to create the types of articles I seek out, ones you walk away from feeling as though you’ve truly gained value. There are several components to my “Why” for being apart of this community — I hope to enhance my writing skills, and sharing my work for others to critique is the most effective means to achieve that goal. I find it to be a means to hold myself accountable. My self-growth articles serve as a reminder of the tools I’ve developed to become a better version of myself.. And most importantly, because I love writing and I love creating. I’m excited to see my writing evolve, and to explore various genres.
A week ago, the idea for this article struck me. Immediately I pulled out my phone, opened The Medium, and began writing. Yesterday I was hit hard with a bug, I woke up with a sore throat, and as the day progressed, I was overcome by fatigue. My body ached, I felt congested, feverish, and battled headaches throughout the day. The sickness forced me to rest, it was the alone time much needed. In the midst of exhaustion and pain I realized the importance of taking a step back, being still. The stillness offering me time to reflect on the life I want to create, and that is one filled with creating. It’s lead me to finishing this article today, I find myself the most centered when I’m writing. The sickness has reinforced my desire to be committed to this increasing my contributions to this platform.
