A Reflection on Success Metrics
UX/UI dev, Jamstackin' it-- React, mostly.
Memes are my weapon of choice. Sarcasm is my defense mechanism.
Prompt: what successful blogging means to me
From Michaela Greiler 's talk during Hashnode Bootcamp II
Admittedly, I'm a numbers person, and by numbers I mean I am victim to the effects of instant gratification from seekng high numbers from vanity metrics (shares, comments, reactions, etc.)
Back in the day, I installed a hit counter on my little web page to see how many people visited. Then, I discovered "guestbooks": where people can leave messages of how much they love/hate you and/or your site.
Every day, I would check the stats and see if I had new entries. If there was at least a ++ increment, I would be content. If there was a significant increase, my day would be made. But if nothing changed, I'd either ask myself, "what can I do better or differently" or just...wallow in self-pity. 🙃
Honestly, success for me is basically the same thing as it's always been: high engagement -- comments, views, shares.
I'm aware that basing my worth and mood on vanity metrics leads to a path fraught with disappointment. I'm also aware that I have brought this upon myself, hard-wiring my worth to my arch-nemesis: numbers.
It begs the question: well, what should my goals really be? What would bring me satisfaction?
Maybe toning down my expectations would be a good starting point. "If I just had one share or comment on this article, that'd be swell!"
Or maybe I should throw out goals all-together and just blog for the hell of it. But that's a bit like plugging my ears and shouting, "la la la la la I can't hear you la la la la"--pointless, annoying, and you know that the issue is right there in front of you still.
Maybe my success metric should be getting one blog entry out a week. It's straightforward, to the point, and only relies on my own actions. However, is the bare minimum really what I want to do?
I'm having trouble deciding on a non-vanity metric-based goal.
What are yours?
Leave your answer in the comments!
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