http://i.imgur.com/VXNhVrR.jpg?1

Many authors work hard to create great content on Steem, yet do not receive the best rewards. What gives?

In yesterday’s post, I talked about how content has to be optimized for attention OR money, and how you usually can’t have both of those things at the same time. If you missed it, that post is right here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@heymattsokol/earning-money-vs-making-an-impact-on-steemit-or-why-your-best-posts-aren-t-earning-the-big-bucks

Today we’re gonna talk about the other side of the coin: <b>Steemit’s design unintentionally amplifies the feeling that you suck at Steem.</b> 

This is a big problem for users in the “dip” of their Steem career (https://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/1591841666) - which often occurs after the first 1-3 months of hard work. Luckily, you can move past that feeling of inferiority. It all starts by seeing the situation clearly.

<h3>FOMO on steroids</h3>

http://i.imgur.com/UcElKth.jpg?1

It’s perfectly normal to feel like you aren’t earning enough money from your Steem posts. After all, every time you log on, you see other people earning TONS of money! The top posts at any given time will be earning hundreds or thousands of dollars. 

Indeed, a quick anecdotal glance shows dozens of posts earning several hundred dollars at any given time. (does anybody have hard stats on this - how many posts per 24 hours earn $100+? let me know in the comments)

As a result, the natural human inclination is to think: “Oh no! These other Steemians are easily making a ton of money! They can probably live off of that much money. Meanwhile, I earn a few bucks a post. I suck, and/or this system is not fair.”

http://i.imgur.com/2fgyjAb.jpg?1

This mindset is easy to land on. But it’s not helpful. Here are a few thoughts on countering this FOMO-esque way of thinking:

<h3> How to Crush Steem-MO</h3>

A: Most successful authors have worked their asses off on this platform. Whenever you start feeling like “damnit, why not me?”, click on their profile. They will probably have thousands of posts dating back 9+ months. Do you have that yet?

B: You only see the most successful posts from the people you don’t follow. In other words, when you see a post that has $1,000 on it, you are seeing the “Greatest Hit”. That same author could have dozens of other posts earning $10 or less. Again - click their profile and look!

C: Feeling bad for yourself is natural at times. But always try to focus on a basic fact: Self-pity does not help. Rather than focus on “why not me, this isn’t fair!”, try to think: “why not me, and how can I change that?” Tip: The answer is probably to spend 20 hours a week writing, commenting, and promoting.

http://i.imgur.com/jMVvOxS.jpg?1

<sub>work hard like this guy did. the prize doesn’t come for free.</sub>

20 hours a week?! Damn straight, son! This isn’t a free money machine. It takes work to get that money.

<h3>Where to Start</h3>

The way to start reducing your Steemit money FOMO / frustration is to call yourself out on your shit. Whenever you get jealous of an author, look at their profile. Nine times out of ten, you will see exactly why they make the money - hard hard work.

I hope these thoughts have given you some new insight into the Steem platform. Maybe I’ll make some money from this, but I’m hoping more for the attention :-). 

What do you think?

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