Episode 6: Find Your Purpose, Adapt Your Strategy
If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done
In the last episode, I wrote about the need for you to be proud of every article you have written and the need to ensure good content and engagement. But writing isn’t simply about good content. There are many struggles you have to deal with too. I have been writing solely on Substack for many months now and I am glad my subscribers have continued to climb, albeit like a roller coaster ride. So in this episode, I will share my struggles to keep up with the changing times.
The thing about writing online is that nothing is forever the same. Everything changes, so it is important that we, as writers, keep up with the changing times and adapt our strategy accordingly.
Take me for example. I started writing on Medium a year ago. I was doing well there, being one of the fastest-growing top writers even though I was a novice with no prior writing experience, no legacy or what-so-ever. My time on Medium made me realise that anything is possible when one is willing to put in the time and effort.
How I started was to set a mission for myself and work towards it. I have a simple mission: to improve myself through writing and hopefully help other like-minded people along the way. I like to share my experiences so that others like you don’t have to go down the same blind alley as I did.
The beauty of life is once you believe in a mission, you will have a purpose. Once you have a purpose, you will have passion. And passion is like the fuel for your engine to drive growth. If you are passionate about something, ride on it. Leverage your passion to level up your energy to do what others cannot achieve. Derive a strategy, and leverage the passion to get you where you want to go. Believe in the cause and forge forward regardless of the resistance.
Finding your purpose is not easy. Many people are writing without a purpose. If you are one of them, take time to work out where you want to go with your writing or else you will find yourself circling around the same spot, and you will be lost and easily demoralised.
But life isn’t that straightforward too. Having a purpose doesn’t mean living happily ever after. We are humans, and we will change with time. Always be mindful of where you are heading. If you discover you have strayed from your original course, you have to decide if that is the new direction you want to go. If not, you must have the audacity to change, whatever it takes.
It is easy to stand with the crowd and go with the flow; it is challenging to stand alone and resist the current. We will probably fail badly at this, that’s why we are only a bunch of novice writers. While you and I may argue we don’t aspire to be the man who can change the world, we undeniably long for the ability to determine our own. This is not an ability we should surrender lightly. Otherwise, we are, without a doubt, a bunch of good-for-nothings.
"If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done." — Thomas Jefferson.
It is easily said, but deciding to do something different is not painless. A sudden change from what had become your norms often comes with huge repercussions or consequences. It takes a certain courage to face the consequences to effect change. Below is what happens when I change from the old CT to the new Coffee Times you see today.
I have had my share of challenges adapting my writing style on Substack, and it has been a roller coastal ride. I have gained many new subscribers, but I have also lost many old supporters. And if you were to ask me for advice, I would make the following three points.
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