What a whirlwind it's been! Exactly three months ago to the day I joined Hive, or should I say, my partner got me set up and then told me what to do! (He loves doing that 😅 and in this case, I've been grateful!)
To say joining Hive has changed my life would not be an exaggeration; it has. And I get the very, very strong sense that it's going to continue to open doors and impact my life in ways I can't even conceive in this moment. But before I get too lost in the future, let me first go back to the past.
If I could go back and speak to myself on that fateful day three months ago here are the things I would say to that past version of me...
1. Don't treat this like a get rich quick scheme. Find an enjoyable, sustainable way to grow your profile, your blog and your following community because this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. I know you came here, on some level, hoping that it would be another way to make money (albeit, a different form of money than you're used to) and that's okay. But the money comes with time, patience, consistency... and probably through doing a bunch of the things on this list 😅 And if you think Hive is just about making money you're probably missing out on all the other things that this platform has to offer and you probably won't stay. So keep your eyes open for all the other things Hive can bring into your life.
2. Honour your natural interests. You love travel and nature and self development type stuff, so put your attention on those things. You're going to find lots of other things on Hive that don't interest you; app development, make up tutorials, political conversations about economics, and other stuff that really isn't up your alley. You can ignore these things, just like you do elsewhere on the internet. You'll have more fun if you let yourself follow your own natural interests.
3. Be yourself. You're allowed to follow and engage with what feels good to you. You don't have to people please or be a certain way in order to get upvotes and receive crypto. Sure, you might see this strategy work for other people but trying to be something you're not is tiring and far from enjoyable. So don't bother. Be yourself; someone (or many "someones") will still like what you're putting out. You are enough as you are and you'll develop more skills to express who you are as time goes on. Start with the fabulous foundation of being true to you first and foremost and grow from that place 🙏
4. Consider your strengths and use them. And if you don't really know what you're great at, then try new things until you discover what you're naturally gifted at. Remember Caroline (ahem, Conscious Cat) you're really good at writing, so write new content and do it often. Also, do you remember that you actually love writing prose and poetry? There are regular writing contests you can enter. Do that; you'll love it and you'll learn a lot at the same time. And when you want to find other things you're good at, try new things. You'll soon work out what else you're good at.
5. Learn from people with high reputation numbers. You see that number next to each person's username? That's their "reputation number". The higher the number, the longer they've been on Hive, actively doing (probably useful) stuff. Start by paying attention to anyone with a 70 or above (whose vibe you actually like!) as they will have been on Hive a long time and thus if they're still here and they're still posting and engaging regularly they clearly have more experience than the majority of Hivians (read: people on Hive: that's you hun!). Learn from these people. They have (probably) developed a whole set of helpful behaviours you can model off to help you become a value-adding human who is enjoying herself on the Hive network, rather than a pain in the arse who has no idea what she's doing 🤣
6. Don't try and make yourself do things you're not ready to do just because you think you should. You know those people who I just mentioned who have been on here for ages? Yeah, they know so much about Hive it will blow your mind. You don't need to understand or try to do everything they're talking about. Just take the bits that make sense to you, that work for you, that you can action now and do those. Remember, overwhelm doesn't help you learn, enjoy or become successful at any new venture, including all things Hive and crypto-related. So just take baby steps. It will be enough. Do what you can today. Learn something new. Practise it until it's easy and then integrate the next thing. Then, before you know it, you'll be teaching other newbies how the hell to navigate this Hive thing 😉
7. Be kind, and not just because we're in the middle of a pandemic and so many people are struggling. Be kind because you're on a platform with other humans who are doing the best they know how. They're learning and growing too. Even the people with 70+ reputation numbers; they might have Hive nailed (maybe) but they'll have relationship challenges and health challenges and work challenges, heck, they'll have life challenges just like you do, so be kind. It doesn't cost you anything to remember that your fellow Hivians are just as precious and vulnerable and human as your own loved ones. Treat them that way.
8. Recognise that there are a wide variety of people on here. So while Hive is full of humans and I've just told you to love them all like you love your own family, realise that there are people from all over the planet with different beliefs, from different cultures, with different languages and definitely, different perspectives. This is going to make for a rich learning experience for you. It's going to open your mind and your heart, and you have so much to gain through this exposure to such diversity of humanity. But remember, humans will be humans and they will do human type things. So there are times when you'll need to be mindful and tolerate when people show up really different from you. Now, that doesn't mean you need to put up with people are being assholes any more than you do in real life. If they need help to understand the rules about how to be a better Hivian (or human) you might need to point them in the right direction, respectfully, gently, mindfully. Or in some circumstances you might just ignore them. After all, whales are pretty good at keeping nuisance behaviour at bay. (And yes, you'll learn what a whale is in this context, I promise 🐳)
9. If it ever feels like too much, go outside and play. In short, get away from the screen and connect with yourself, another human or the natural world. Hug a human. Pat a dog. Stare at a tree. Go for a swim. Do something fun. And then, when you're ready, come back and tell your fellow Hivians what you got up to while you were away ;)
And, finally...
10. Realise the power you have by being on a decentralised platform. Unlike other social media channels where your power is limited to a like 👍 or a love ❤️ or some other kind of emoji reaction 🤯 and/or the comment you write on their tweet or post or video, here you actually get to give someone money. Yes, crypto rather than fiat (read: normal money you're used to), but it's still currency; it's still something they can exchange into a real world, tangible thing that they can buy food or shelter (or shiny high heels with) if they choose. So use your power wisely: Upvote great posts and totally ignore shitposts. (Note: This is an official Hive term 😆). Own the power you now have and use it wisely; doing so will help the whole (Hive) community, including you, to thrive.
Wooooo! You made it! 😃 Thanks for hanging out while I had that conversation with my past self. Was it helpful? Entertaining? Enlightening? I do hope so!
Now, before we part ways, here are the things I plan to focus on moving forward, and in particular over the next three months (because that's about as far into the future as my mind can stretch right now 😄).
Source This is what I look like when I'm thinking really hard 😄
1. I'm going to keep prioritising trying new things. I'll join different communities and see which ones feel really good to me. I'll try different types of posts and while I see which ones feel really good to me I also want to see how they land with others to know how best to use my time. And I'll try out different contests and see which ones feel like the most fun while also rewarding me with some semi reasonable amount of HBD, HP and/or token.
2. I'm going to keep scanning for, upvoting and encouraging the authors of posts that I feel are really, really good. I value content that enriches my life somehow so I'm not, was not and still won't, be giving 'votes for votes'. I'm not going to upvote something because I think I'll get a good chunk of the curator cash pool. I'm only going to give value (currency, and loving attention) to the posts I think are valuable.
3. I'm going to continue prioritising being grateful. Because I know I would be lost without role models to learn from, connections to laugh with and fellow Hivians who say kind things about my stuff, I am going to continue and even step up my gratitude practice. Not because I think it will lead to more crypto in my account (though it probably will anyway, because what we appreciate, appreciates) but rather because it feels damn good to say "thank you" when people give me stuff. And it's humbling to remember that I cannot do any of this without the rest of you.
Caroline, aka Conscious Cat 🐈
Thanks for reading. If you found this helpful you're welcome to upvote, re-blog, give me tokens and/or say nice things to me in the comments 😄 I welcome all forms of love ❤️
P.S. Anyone who has significantly more experience than me on Hive who has spotted any kind of error whatsoever in my post, please feel totally free to correct it in a comment below. I want any newbie reading this to get accurate information. So if I have misused any terms or said anything confusing, please teach us in the comments the right way to do it!
P.P.S. If you've been on Hive for a year or less and you haven't written a post like this (maybe you could!) do you want to share with us in the comments the 3-5 most helpful things you've learned so far in your time on Hive? What would you want to tell your former self on the day they joined Hive that would help them progress faster and enjoy the journey even more?
This was a fabulous post! Sounds like you are finding your way nicely. You've nailed down the most important bits from what I can tell 😉 The rest will come with more time on the platform, but if you need more info sooner, best piece of advise I can give you; join the discords of the communities that you like. You will connect with so many like-minded people 😊 Especially join The Terminal. @thekittygirl and the team there are super helpful on all things Hive related. I'll quote something I found in The Terminal Discord today that @thekittygirl said to another Hivian which I think explains it nicely:
I hope this helps a bit!
Oooooooh! Yes, this helps. Thank you @samsmith1971. (And thank you for your kind words! !LOL ) Well in that case, I might just have to do that some time soon...
lolztoken.com
I thought it was a nice jester.
$LOLZ
Use the !LOL or !LOLZ command to share a joke and an $LOLZ. (1/4)@samsmith1971, I sent you an on behalf of @consciouscat
no worries, thank you for the laugh... quite an apt one hehe
Bhahaha. It is, isn't it? I love the @lolzbot so much. It brings a smile to my face almost every single day 🤗😂❤️🙏
Thanks for pointing out this post, @steevc!
@consciouscat, I've been on HIVE since it was called Steemit, and that platform was only 6 months old or so when I joined. Does that make me a crypto hipster now? Anyway, what I have learned is:
Don't worry about token prices. Crypto will be a roller coaster for the foreseeable future. Enjoy the ride.
Do use the tools on hive.blog or peakd.com to follow content creators and communities. Engage with the folks who are genuine. Be the kind of commenter and voter for them that you would like to see on your own posts.
Feel free to experiment, but always try to post the best content quality you can. We're all growing and learning, so accept it will never be perfect, but add the best blockchain content you would want to see from others.
If in doubt, follow the Golden Rule.
totally makes you a crypto hipster ;) !LOL@jacobtothe, to me that
And thanks for the pointers. I think I'm doing these but a little reinforcement never hurts :) Although, Brad (my partner) deliberately chose ecency when we joined up and I do follow content creators and have joined communities through that (dapp? platform? website?). I'm not sure I know how to use hive.blog or peakd.com (in fact, I don't know how to use them). Is it a matter of "same same" or is it actually useful to switch between these once I become more fluent on Hive generally, in your opinion?
hey Caroline @consciouscat, ecency, hive.blog and peakd are all just different front ends on Hive. So think of them as different entrances to the same blockchain. You can go through any one of them, regardless of which one you used to sign up for. They all have slightly different extra bits they offer. If you downloaded keychain, then you will be able to use it to log in to any of the frontends or community URLs that you find on Hive :-) Play around and see which ones you prefer. Communities like Proofofbrain.io also have this as their frontend.
Aha! You have such a great way of explaining things simply @samsmith1971. Thank you! 😊
hehe this is how it was explained to me at some point. The front ends are just 'front doors' to a 'building' called Hive. Use anyone you like to enter; they all use the same key (chain). !LOLZ
lolztoken.com
Because they can get down.
$LOLZ
Use the !LOL or !LOLZ command to share a joke and an $LOLZ. (2/2)@consciouscat, I sent you an on behalf of @samsmith1971
Awesome! 🚪🔑
lolztoken.com
That's six years in a row now.
$LOLZ
Use the !LOL or !LOLZ command to share a joke and an $LOLZ. (3/4)@jacobtothe, I sent you an on behalf of @consciouscat
I am not sure I am the person to ask about the best platform. I started on Steemit, after all. I like the tools PeakD offers, but I have not tried Ecency.
Got it! Ta :)
I would like to thank @steevc for pointing out this post, he was the first person I came across here on the platform (though thanks to @kiers for sending me over here from Twitter).
@consciouscat thanks for sharing this detailed synopsis of your experience here thus far. I have to say I am excited to be here. It's not all about the money, the experience often matters more. I'm here to impart my knowledge and to learn from others. Something that seems to have become forgotten in others corners of the web.
p.s. Sorry for the lack of avatar, I uploaded it but it hasn't accepted it yet. Will try another.
Woooooooo! Looks like you've literally just landed in here 🙌 How awesome! Welcome Nick 😄 Glad you have Steve (steevc) to follow. He's a great person to "Follow" and actively watch what he's doing; a helpful role model indeed.
And I'm delighted you found this post helpful. I look forward to seeing what you create on here. Yes to sharing our knowledge and learning from each other in this corner of the web 🙏😀
I think this is a very different corner of the web too. I'm writing a few photo blogs, including some about an area we are moving to in 2022. Exciting stuff to come.
I found Steve's introductory guides were very handy.
Excellent! And... these introductory guides you speak of... I may not have seen them. Can you point me to them? (Tell me where found them or share a link here?) I'd love to read them!
And thanks for the re-blog @steevc! 💚
I hope it got you more engagement. That's what it's about.
It appears that it did! 🤗
Hello @consciouscat. I read your post with interest and certainly agree with your approach to the platform and what you've learned so far. Any new member reading your content may learn a few things on how to conduct themselves.
One item you mentioned I'd like to address. When you say:
I just want to say that in the past year I've noticed that members are moving up in reputation more quickly than when I first started in 2019. So, just having a high reputation number doesn't necessarily mean that a person is any wiser or adds more value to the platform than everyone else. Make sure first that the person represents qualities and conduct themselves the way you feel is admirable. You still need to make sure that you're following or learning from someone who deserves your time and attention.
Thanks for your thoughts on this topic. Take care.
Thanks @justclickindiva. Well that's interesting that members are moving up in reputation more quickly than when you first started! 🤔 I wonder if that has something to do with just more of us being on here? Or more of us learning from other awesome humans like you? 😉
Totally agree with your point and thank you for highlighting this. I definitely didn't share with people that I am very, very choosy which humans I listen to/take advice from in all areas of my life, online and offline, as a default. I don't care if they're nation leader, a billionaire or a highly sort after expert, if I feel like they're behaving in a way that is out of integrity and not genuinely helping people then I ignore them. And again, thanks for reinforcing this point, because I value integrity way more than any number. In this case, I'm looking for both and I definitely suggest that others reading along do the same.
Thanks for reading.
!LUV
(2/5) gave you
@justclickindiva
This is something I always remind myself of everyday. There are lots of amazing things one could explore on this platform but it's best if everything is taken bits by bits. Trying to force things might become detrimental in the long run.
And congratulations on your 3 month anniversary. Cheers to celebrating more years.
I joined the platform about 3 months ago too. Perhaps, I would take a cue from you and write about my experience so far too.
shock and we can't integrate what we've learned. But one step at a time and literally our body is able to absorb what we've given it.😁🙏 Thanks for celebrating with me @monioluwa! Hands down agree - bit by bit is the way. People don't realise that this is the way our nervous system is designed. If we try to change too much too fast it's a
YES to you writing about your experience! If that feels fun of course! Do make sure you let me know if you write one. I'd love to read it. Tag me somewhere if you do?
You're very welcome. 😊
I hope many people get to realize this sooner than later.
Sure, I'll make sure I tag you if I eventually decide to go ahead with it.
Thank you very much.
🙏
What a great post! Loved your way of writing and it was so usefull and inspiring for a newbie like myself 😍 Just arrived this week on Hive and I really feel overwhelmed...
After reading your post I realized maybe I'm a bit obsessed because I still don't have a clue how I'm gonna write an Introduction Post. Maybe what I really need is to get away from the computer 🤔 Thank your for your insights. I wonder if 3 months from now I will be thinking the same way you do now 😁
because there is no such thing.Love it @blackdaisyft :) I'm so glad you saw this and it was helpful in these earliest days for you here on Hive. Totally; get away from the computer. And if it's helpful, check out my Intro post for ideas and what things you could talk about and how you might like to structure it. My partner @new.things and I both spent a bit of time thinking about how we'd like to do an Intro post and learned from other people's examples. But we made ourselves post it without trying to get it perfect,
And I'm happy to read what you've shared in your bio; it's good to know what people are about and then I can know, very quickly, what's important to them and if we're on the same page about things. If I can help with any little things along the way, feel free to tag me in a comment somewhere appropriate and ask (at some point I need to join Discord as that's where we're supposed to ask questions, but as per my point #6 above - I'm not ready yet 🤣). Tag me in a comment in your Intro Post so I can see it when you've written it?
Wow! You're like an angel with just the right information I need right now to go for it 🙏 I'll definitly going to check that out tomorrow, after a good night sleep.
I'm not aiming for perfection, just my best ^^ I apreciate for your positive feedback on my little bio 😚 I'll make sure to tag you in my introduction post (might take a while 😅) and can't wait for your feedback on that too.
😇 😉 Fabulous. See you soon then.
Awesome write-up dear ♥️♥️♥️, really helpful and well stated...
I joined hive may 2021 but gave same may Cause my motive of joining then was all about earning. That was what most newbies had too. Then I was not having likes on my post to my taste 😃, meanwhile I was not doing the right thing.
I came back here on hive after taking advices and tips from friends, what is really important here is not the money you gain but how far this platform can take you. When I came back I did alot of engagement and learning from other people's post and it has really pushed , and since then I have been enjoying hive not for morning but getting to interact with people who are like minded same as I. Most people find it hard to engage but wants to be engaged, you have to give to receive, so for every newbies reading this, the hive you gain is good but the focus should be you getting information that will profit you beyond just the money , and always do well to engage😌😌😌...
Thank you for your kind words and the re-blog @tblings-art! Yes to the things you've shared. And how great that you made a point of learning new things to come back and re-engage differently with the platform. I think genuine engagement and finding a way to make it fun is so important 😃
It's really nice to find new people almost every day now compared to a period of time when things were feeling stagnant.
While you have been here a few months now, this is the first I've noticed. That's actually a good thing it means we are gaining depth.
I like your approach and goals. A late welcome, but welcome just the same.
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Thank you so much @whatsup! :) Seems like it's a good sign indeed ;)
I love the ninth thought. If it ever feels like too much go out side and play. This one right here is everything, if not well managed to can find your self wallowing in unproductive and busy for nothing posts that are not even producing fruit but making you burn out.. Enjoy you and what you do on here and the rest will follow
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Totes! Agreed :) Thanks for the reflection @mintfinch.
Thank you for this Helpful and motivated Post.. Keep going my friend i can see Hive will have better place in future
You're welcome @arashthr. Thank you for the re-blog! And welcome to Hive; it looks like you joined just a week ago? May you find it to be a wonderful space to share your music and your love of travel. I look forward to reading and seeing more about Iran.
i will be glad if you follow me and watch my posts .. i will post more about my Traveling and irans nature
I have already followed you @arashthr as I was curious to see what you might share about Iran and your people. My suggestion: Focus on learning and creating good quality posts. If you do this, people will follow you and you won't have to ask.
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Thank you @marcocasario, @cribbio and @gaseightyfive for the re-blogs! I can't tell if these accounts are bots but I'm grateful all the same ;)
Cada aprendizaje es un regalo en nuestras vida y los cambios vienen por algo 👍
Indeed :)
@dreemsteem isn't this a lovely reflective piece?
🙏
Hi nice post, being a newbie here it's good to read about other peoples experiences and knowledge thanks
Welcome to HIVE 🙌Thanks @roconnor! I'm glad it's helpful 😀
Yay! 🤗
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Very thoughtful and well organized piece. Great to read. Good luck, you will make it, though, because you write like a super star. 💕🔥✅
Thanks @itsostylish! I appreciate your kind words 🤗 and the re-blog!! 💗
Absolutely awesome! I just started out the same way, with my partner giving me the nudge and setting me up. I'm loving it so far, but it's easy to get disillusioned if your priorities aren't straight. Thanks so much for your perspective. I'll be coming back to this post for guidance, I'm sure!
sustainable and enjoyable; everything else can grow with that base.@clairemobey, thank you so much! I can see how, if things get crazy busy for me in my business then I might struggle to maintain my energy/enthusiasm on HIVE. I can see that so much of it is about keeping it
Oh, and thanks for the re-blog! That should make it easier to come back to 😄😉 I think I might just do that same behaviour for things I want to keep referring back to also! 😁
@hakeema, thank you! I have to remind myself of this one in my business too 😄