I’ve been there.

You write a new post on Medium and a few hours later you’re checking the Stats page. Oh, wait, did I say hours? Of course I meant minutes. Which of course is just plain silly because for most of us, a few minutes aren’t really going to bring a huge spike in stats.

So why do we do it?

Selfishness? Yeah, it’s undoubtedly a bit of that. We all want to be accepted, and we want to know that other people care about what we have to say. Some of us want to impact people. We want to provide value to them. We incorrectly think that the amount of impact we provide is directly tied to the number of readers we get.

Not true.

If you impact one person with your writing, I believe that’s a success. And yet, I still find myself checking the Stats page too.

So what should we do about it?

Well, how about we all try to form a little habit? Whenever we get the urge to check our stats, let’s go recommend someone else’s story instead. You know how great it feels to get a recommend. Go provide that value for someone else.

Go find a post that really resonates with you and share it on Facebook. Tweet out a highlight. Provide value.

Because this community on Medium is much bigger than just us. It’s a wonderful place to share ideas and heartfelt stories. There are so many great writers out there. Let’s give them the courtesy that we want from others.

Then, once you’ve done that. Go to the next level. Provide value for someone in the un-virtual world.

This is what I’m going to call the value economy. It’s the constant transfer of value from one person to another. This can happen on social media, over the phone, in person…anywhere! And I’ll call each individual occurance a value transaction. What does this look like?

Open a door. Do the dishes for your spouse. Call your parents. Send a letter. Say a prayer. Share your Netflix account with someone.

Why?

Well, there’s the Golden Rule for starters. If you want value, you need to give value first. But that’s before a value transaction has even occurred. You already know about so many value transactions that have taken place. Just think about it.

That podcast you love.

That show you can’t stop watching.

That book with the pages you keep turning.

That quote that’s seared into your brain.

Anything that has provided value for you can be a part of a value transaction. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then hold on a second. I’ll show you what I mean.

I’ve received a ton of value from 37 the Podcast.

My wife, Sarah, and I love watching Once Upon a Time together.

Currently, I’m reading Lent for Non-Lent People by Jon Swanson.

“Before our message can connect with others, it must first connect with us.” — Kary Oberbrunner.

I’ll even give you an extra one. The customer service and the value provided by the wonderful people at Rabbut have been amazing for me. If you’re looking for an email subscription service for your Medium posts, check them out.

All of the above have provided value for me. By sharing them, I’m offering you a value transaction while also providing value for the people who originally started the value transaction.

That’s a lot of value.

Now it’s your turn. Go share someone’s content that really impacted you. Tell your friend about that book you just read. Join in the value economy and make a few transactions.