Numbers distract you from the truth

When you’re a writer, looking at numbers is one of the worst things you can do, because numbers distract.

The amount of likes doesn’t matter. Web views don’t matter. Followers don’t matter. Sales don’t matter. Amount of reviews don’t matter.

It’s true. They don’t matter. Not if they distract you from your stories. Not if they take wind from your sails. Not if the information doesn’t motivate you. Not if it makes you want to give up and stop writing.

So don’t look at numbers. Write. Focus on you. On what drives you. On that gem within you that you need to pull out, an inch of progress for every word you write. A step in the direction of completing your story.

If you get a like, say thank you. If you get a share, say thank you. If you get a review, give a HUGE thank you. But don’t focus on that. Don’t write to get sales. Don’t write to get likes. Don’t do anything for any reason that isn’t to do what you love. Your love for writing shouldn’t be conditional. It should be free. It should come from within and should be its own reward.

Some days I get a lot of likes. Other days I don’t. I’m thankful either way because both motivate me. Both make me want to strive to do better. I’ve written and done things I swore people would like nonstop and have barely registered a blip and I’ve done things in the spur of the moment, not expecting a response or thinking it’s subpar and having a lot of people resonate. And that’s the thing, if you focus on numbers, you can get distracted, you can get tempted to stop. If that’s the case. Don’t look at numbers. Ignore them. Have them beg for your attention and keep creating. Because that’s what matters. You doing what you love. You sharing the truest of you. You seeking and using inspiration.

So the rule is simple: if it distracts? Ignore it and focus on what matters: what you love doing.

Peace, love, and maki rolls.