Lessons For A Minnow: Why I Have Never Withdrawn Money From My $340 Steemit Account
I have never been through the process of converting my earnings on Steemit into fiat currency. I would be lying if I said that I have not been tempted. Right now, I am going through the torturous experience of only having one functioning ear of my earphones. I also would like to purchase the sequel to a book that I have been reading. Yet, despite the fact that I could quite easily meet my needs by use of my earnings on Steemit, I have chosen not to. The reason for that is simple, discipline.
A Lesson From Greek Mythology
I am sure that most of you are familiar with the famous Greek mythological tale known as Pandora's box, if not, you can read up on the story here.
In short, the story concerns a woman known as Pandora, who was sent a box by the Greek god, Zeus. Zeus had given explicit instructions to Pandora not to open the box. Initially, Pandora had acquiesced, and had resisted the temptation to open it. However, she eventually succumbed to her curiosity and opened the box. What came forth were terrible evils such as poverty and suffering that infected the world.
Now, I am not saying that the act of withdrawing money from my Steemit account will result in terrible evils being released into the world (then again...), but the obvious lesson to glean from this story is one of discipline. My Steemit account is the proverbial Pandora’s box that I must treat with caution. If I indulge myself in its monetary goodness, then I am at risk of lapsing into a vicious cycle of continuously withdrawing money from my account. I must be disciplined, and only withdraw money unless it is absolutely necessary. What need do I have for new earphones when one ear still works? Can’t I always go down to my local library to get the sequel to the book that I am reading? Success on Steemit, and any other pursuit for that matter, demands discipline. This is something I understand, and willingly embrace.
"You must gain control over your money, or the lack of it will forever control you" -Dave Ramsey
Short Termism v Long Termism
Another reason I have never taken money out of my Steemit account is because I understand the importance of saving money.
"The art is not in making money, but in keeping it" -Proverb
I effectively see my account on Steemit as a Steemit savings account. The key to saving is to understand the 'Short Termism v Long Termism' mentality. I can take a step forward, and withdraw money to fulfill a want in the short term. However, the forward step made in the short term, is also a backwards step made in the long term. Every time you withdraw money in the short term, one is just further and further away from their long term goals. I set myself the long term objective to obtain over 500 STEEM POWER in the next three months. I will never be able to achieve this if I am continuously draining my account. I recommend you always have at the forefront of your mind, the long term goal that you have set out to achieve. Every time you feel compelled to buy something in the short term, I urge you to consider if it is really necessary, for meeting that short term want will place you further away from your long term goal. I have found that, characterising my relationship with my Steemit savings account in this way, is an effective method to prevent me from taking money out of it.
Conclusion
The values of discipline and short termism v long termism, are standards that I will continue to apply to Steemit. Like many others on Steemit, I want to grow my account and succeed on the platform. That growth will come at a cost. I will have to practice discipline and water my Steemit plant every single day. I must never fail in steadfastly reinvesting all earnings back into my account. I am not worried by how small my plant is today, because my thoughts are on how big it will be in the future.
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