4 Lessons From 40 Days On Medium
Is it even a lesson if not learned the hard way?
Exactly 40 days before now, on July 2, 2023, I published my very first post on Medium and joined a very welcoming, very friendly publication, Be Yourself. When I first approached Joel, as I have already mentioned in this story, my heart was lodged in my throat. As somebody who sucked (yes, I am finally using this word in the past tense) at socializing, I hesitated to reach out at first but then due to this challenge, I had to start pushing myself.
And now, after 40 days of being a Medium member, I’m so glad I did it. It has been a tumultuous ride, reaching out to publications and fellow Medium writers, commenting and responding to others’ comments.
But is it a successful journey if it doesn’t leave lessons and memories in its wake? Today, as I celebrate this milestone in my journey, I would like to take a moment and thank everybody who supported my work. You people are true gems and I cannot thank you all enough for supporting me through this endeavour.
Now that I have expressed my gratitude, I’d like to share the lessons I have learned in the past 40 days. So, buckle up and get ready for a heavy dose of truth to be thrown your way!
1. Not Everyday Is The Same
When I first penned a story for Medium, I was agitated and driven by frustration. For the next, I challenged myself to break the shackles I’d tied at my feet and put myself out there. Be it accepting that I made a mistake by not learning Excel sooner to creating an interactive dashboard for the eponymous platform, I have done it all.
On the flip side, there have been days when I just didn’t have enough time due to the strenuous workload. I wasn’t motivated to open another Doc file and write anything, I did that a lot already. I just didn’t have enough time.
Sun and sunshine are eternal partners but what completes a day is the moon. Likewise, words are our companions but you don’t need a companion all day.
2. You Don’t Have To Write About The Same Topic
Before hitting the Submit button, I admit I did my fair share of research. I read guides on Medium and tried to understand what the platform demands from its writers. One point every writer mentioned in their urged rookies to choose a specific niche.
My experience on Medium suggests otherwise. I have written motivational posts, helmed poems, and jotted down extensive case studies and published them on Medium. Each of them has been thankfully, by God’s grace, received warmly. Yes, some works have been featured in shout-out posts, some have been added to lists by fellow bloggers while some have gone entirely unnoticed. But that’s just how blogging works, isn’t it?
Writing about the same topic or in a specific niche isn’t the key to amassing more followers. It is delivering engrossing, thought-invoking, and relatable content that matters the most.
3. Numbers Do Matter
While I am firm a believer in the infamous saying, “Numbers cannot decide my future”, I have to admit numbers do matter. Partly because I have always been the kind of class topper who stresses over that missing 1 in 100. But here I am not talking about the stats or the number of followers.
I am talking about the number of times you open Medium.
While I didn’t publish much on Medium in the past few days, it felt as if I’m missing something significant in my life. I tried my best to manage everything but I didn’t have to try to read an article or two on Medium. Reading the mesmerizing poems and progress-related articles people are publishing here has become my guilty pleasure.
For the platform to accept you, you need to embrace it first wholeheartedly.
4. The Only Obstacle That Could Hinder You Is Yourself
It is a bittersweet feeling to accept that the only reason I didn’t make any significant progress is myself. The community of writers is so welcoming and the data analysts out there aren’t only job-oriented. It took me quite a long while to finally accept that there is nothing that could hinder me other than myself.
In the past week, I sat through my first phone interview call. Previously, I’ve been operating through emails and texts. If any potential employer asked for a video interview or phone interview, I hesitated. But this time, I didn’t chicken out and the confidence I’ve built is all due to Medium.
People who say that blogging can empower you are absolutely right. There’s nothing more liberating than pouring your heart out and embellishing a blank page with words and emotions.
Conclusion
I know I have thanked you all for supporting me through this journey but why not again?
This poem (A Mere Word) has become my most-read post with over 500 claps (so far?). My case study has been featured in the publication’s best posts list. I have garnered over 50 true followers and honestly, these numbers are much more than that.
Before I end this discussion, l would like to urge you to start recording your journey as well. You won’t have a concrete idea of what wonders it might do to your growth until you start.
Go, write about what you learned and what you want to learn, and let me know about it, too.
