Steemit Beginner's Series Featurette: Chart Your Course Challenge

Taking a week away from Steemit put into perspective a few elements I'd be missing:

• Why am I on Steemit? I started in January and went 110%, which is common for a multipotentialite like myself.
• What is important for me to publish on Steemit, and why? My personal blog is a stylish yet stifling platform where few people read my content and even fewer engage. Steemit gave me a megaphone and a generous community who seem to appreciate most everything I share. Where do I draw the line between what I spend time publishing and what I keep simply for the memories?
• Where do I want my activities on Steemit to lead me, and when do I want to get to these milestones? This is a big one, which I have addressed earlier in my What Would I Do with 5000 SP? post and beyond, but with the drop in Steem price and my writing career seeming to come to a screeching halt... the lack of clarity made me less inclined to swim in murky waters at all.

Steemit Beginner's Series was created to share my journey as a case example for new Steemians to examine, pull inspiration, and find new ways to enjoy their time on the platform.

Upon logging back in to prepare for my week, I came across a post by @shadowspub that I instantly new would lead to a fitting Beginner's Series installment.

Originally created by @dreemsteem, the Chart Your Course Challenge is a succinct, compelling, and easy-to-complete outline to setting Steemit goals.

I encourage Steemians of all experience levels to evaluate your publishing routines, expectations, and goals with this fun exercise.

Rules:

1. What is your Steemit goal? (In one sentence, make it as specific and as measurable as possible)
2. Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting
3. Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.
4. Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
5. And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!
6. Challenge 3-5 people to chart their course!
7. Use the #chartyourcourse tag

I am happy to add my entry to this challenge and would like to note:

challenges + contests are my favorite way to join and cultivate community on this platform. Each of us has the opportunity to learn about and learn from one another, and these commonalities lead to friendship and growth.

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What is your Steemit goal? (In one sentence, make it as specific and as measurable as possible)

In the next twelve months, I will create my Steemit blog as an income-generator that serves as the experimental sharing, feedback, and development ground for my creative publishing career.**

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Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting

1. Curating: earns, fosters relationships, boosts others, educates me, improves Steemit, super enjoyable.
2. Commenting: all of the above, sans earns in most cases.
3. Posting: all of the above and very important to developing myself as a creative works publisher.

I've actually given this tremendous consideration. While I implore you to keep it simple I'm going to expand on this topic just a bit.

My Steemit Activity Priorities, in other words, I balance my time between:

_{In no particular order}

1. Posting content
2. Curating and creating [curated] content
3. Viewing and engaging with others’ content
4. Discovering new communities
5. Investing in existing communities
6. Collaborating on content
7. Learning about the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and major platform players
8. Improving your profile/position on the platform

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Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.

_{It's impossible for me to name just five, as I am grateful to be accepted into multiple communities that invest generously in my potential. I can only hope I can repay each in-kind as I grow.}

• The Alliance + The Classroom (@thealliance, @syndicate)
• Curie (@curie)
• Steem Sugars (@steemsugars)
• Team Girl Powa (@teamgirlpowa)
• Writer's Block (@thewritersblock)
• Isle of Write (@isleofwrite)
• 5-Minute Freewrite (@freewritehouse)
• Steemit Ramble (hosted by @shadowspub)
• Promo-Mentors (@promo-mentors)
• Steem Engine (@thesteemengine, hosted by @ethandsmith)
• DTube (@dtube)

And of course, I cannot neglect to mention my dear Ladies of Steemit (@ladiesofsteemit). Though it is not a Discord community you can join, it's a movement you can bolster that supports + showcases the female voices of the blockchain.

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Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.

One Month

Host a 1000 follow celebration contest! My lovely friend @aussieninja devised a very silly contest that I'm happy to implement once my moving craziness settles down. If you're one of those 1000+ people (and bots) who follow along, you are loved! ^{Even if you're not, you're still loved. : )}

Three Months

Publish one of my five-minute freewrite (flash fiction) or other written + publish Steemit original in a literary journal! This will be a first for me... but I'm up for the challenge. I will continue writing daily, experimenting with flash fiction, poetry, and (I can't believe I'm writing this out loud) CHILDREN'S LITERATURE! I have long-dreamed of publishing a self-illustrated children's book, even though I can't draw and have never written a children's book before. Steemit is my open forum for your thoughts and feedback on my projects. So please, join me!

Six Months

Solidify my curator status with continued 2.5+ Curie scores and landing in the top 10% of @abh12345's curator's league standings! While I'm nowhere near either of these yet, curation is a key component of my Steemit engagement. I derive immense satisfaction from finding talented authors, directing rewards toward undervalued content, and using whatever voting power I have to cultivate goodness on Steemit.

Twelve Months

Pay my bills and myself a living wage with Steem. Elizabeth Gilbert's poignant words have stuck with me:

“But to yell at your creativity, saying, “You must earn money for me!” is sort of like yelling at a cat; it has no idea what you’re talking about, and all you’re doing is scaring it away, because you’re making really loud noises and your face looks weird when you do that.”

Steemit is not the avenue for my creativity to make money for me. Steemit is the grounds for learning, cultivating community + support, and investing in others. Through that, I will hone my craft messily and through many tries. Thankfully, you can earn money on any posts, even the ones that aren't perfect, if your community benefits from your sharing. To cultivate that community, who would with their voting power and engagement, support the development and honing of my craft, would be the highest honor I could achieve on Steemit.

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And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!

Grasshopper Pie!

Where have you been all my life!? This stuff is amazing. At each milestone, I will reward myself with Grasshopper Pie!

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I would like to invite my fellow new-ish Steemians to join me in this challenge. I'd love to learn your goals, see your perspective, and watch the positive ripples your sharing has on your community.

• @aussieninja
• @malloryblythe
• @lilyraabe
• @coachjj
• @big.mama
• @cailliyork
• @robertandrew
• @borrowedearth
• @aislingcronin
• @hazem91
• @artizm

Resounding thanks to @dreemsteem for this challenge!

If you haven't met @dreemsteem, she's a Steemit original. Host of the wildly fun weekly Treasure Hunts and many other self-created activities, she's a must-follow if you enjoy having a good time online.

Have you not yet been tagged in this challenge? Take it upon yourself to join in! Post a link to your challenge in the comments below if you're inspired to write on. I'm excited to get to know you and your goals!

_{All photos from Unsplash save for the pie, which was taken (and eaten) by moi.}

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Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.

I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. You might have found me through the Ladies of Steemit curation initiative, showcasing the female voices on the Steemit platform. Let's hang out on the blockchain and see where it takes us.

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