1/
When I started writing, I saw a pattern between online writers who do well and those who don't.
Those who don't focus on
- stats
- likes and followers
- keep refreshing their stats
- try to use techniques to succeed
And those who do well, do so because
- they enjoy writing
- it makes them happy
- they know that showing up + improving is the way
Obsessing around the outcome is dangerous because the outcome doesn't improve unless you do.
And when you don't enjoy something, you'll rarely be super amazing at it. No wonder I sucked at my corporate job :)
2/
I’m always amused by people who crib about not getting traction on LinkedIn. There’s someone or another every single day who brings it up. I see their profile, and I’m not surprised that they don’t get traction.
They shouldn’t.
It’s why I have tailored the content I consume and read stuff by people I genuinely like.
Skills that people should work on are the ones that have been winning since the beginning of humans pursuing art: writing & storytelling
But most people get so consumed by the online world of cheap dopamine that they chase that instead of working on their skills.
When you write online, you write for
- an attention economy
- the reader
Yet we have
- weak hooks (first 2 lines)
- unedited thoughts and feelings
- personal diary-type posts
- generic stuff
This won’t work due to lack of personality. It never will.
Writing online gives you great power. You can make people feel things. You get to make an impact.
If that isn’t beautiful, I don’t know what is.
So work on your writing and storytelling. I’ve been writing every day for 16 years and my love for this art helps me focus on the process the over outcome.
For the last 3 months, I’ve killed my own numbers by changing my posting strategy but that’s given me more love, more customers ($).
Stop cribbing.
It gives you a cushion of fellow cribbers but that’s all. Numbers don’t change unless you improve. And in a world where everyone is busy chasing cheap dopamine, chase - excellence - impact - skills
I promise it’ll help. And you’ll never, ever complain or even feel bothered about such petty things ;)
3/
I've had decent success with my writing in the past 4 years. For 3 years of being self-employed, I've worked for under 4 h a day.
This sounds 'quick' to some people.
To be able to quit my 9-5 in a year.
Here's what they don't see - I've been writing since I was 7 years old. As an only child, I used to write poetry in my notebook. Writing is all I did to pass time during weekends apart from painting random stuff or playing with cousins.
After I joined a boarding school, I was consistent with
- writing a journal
- writing for the school newsletter
In college, I wrote a personal blog + ran a fitness blog on Twitter.
When I started working, the Instagram blog continued.
By the time I took my writing dreams seriously in October 2020, I'd been writing for SEVENTEEN YEARS.
So while it wasn't online, I was still carving my skill for ages.
Today, it's been 21 years of consistently writing. And I still think I'm just getting started, learning more and practising more.
In the age of social media, it's easy to compare and strive for quick results. But the people you think got 'lucky' usually have years of work behind it.
So put in the work. Keep showing up. That's how you increase your surface area of luck.
All the best.
Do it for long enough and make your future self proud.
A better life is just on the other side of good habits and new things done for long enough.
You got this!
Love,
N
