I agree that steem has started to feel more like an obligation than a joy. I find myself trying to 'fit it in' to my busy schedule, but I typically just get through it as quickly as I can. I'm not sure what it would take to make me want to spend more time here, but I bet if I was seeing a more significant return on my time investment I'd spend a lot more.
And that's a fair stance to take.
Nobody wants to spend hours here when it's more productive elsewhere. It gets funnier when "tryhards" invest enormous amount of time to grind for Steem when they can just work an extra shift and use the extra wage to buy more Steem, as needed.
All that in less time and effort too!
You know, I haven't brought myself to invest any dollars in steem just yet. I was considering it a while back, but it's just been so low and there is so much crypto flooding the market.
About half of my stake here is bought. I'm just cruising along before I feel like I'm at a spot where l will stop buying and just power up and cash out with the earnings from whatever I do.
Can you buy steem directly where you are? Here I have to buy a different crypto first, then use that currency to purchase steem.