A long-term mentality pays off in the long run.

I've had a few posts on Steemit that have earned me a fair coin, but I was starting to get frustrated after some more recent posts only earned me a dollar or two.

It seems like if the article doesn't hit its peak within a few hours, it might become worthless. So it feels like if I make a mistake and put the wrong image, the wrong title, the wrong lead-in sentence, my article might never get the attention it deserves.

However, if this system continues to function, as we hope and expect, then we could be receiving payouts years from now. The large payouts initially were driven by those few who had thousands of dollars worth of Steem Power in their wallets, but the since the first payout, that power has suddenly become more distributed. The minnows of yesterday are the gropers of today.

Staking a claim

If this site continues to grow, then it will make sense to see new life breathed into old articles. People will go back in time, searching for timeless gold, so they can upvote it and share it, promoting it anew, to provide themselves curation rewards, and to reward the author for their excellent work.

That means, it makes sense to stake your claim now, write high-quality posts with a degree of longevity, potentially creating a revenue stream which will last for decades.

Reputation

Even if we assume that nobody will return to those articles, or that the algorithm of the site favours new content, it still makes sense to take a long-term approach. Even though the "follow" user system on the site doesn't seem to be well-developed yet, you've probably found yourself returning to a certain few user's pages to see what ideas and stories they're cooking up and serving out.

By dedicating oneself to creating interesting content, with heart, you build a reputation which will pay off with time.

Make good art

I remember years ago watching an awards show and hearing Sting say "It doesn't matter if you perform for an audience of 10,000, or an audience of one. If you make music, it will delight your heart and uplift your spirit." I considered his words, but I also thought it was easy for him to say that, having already made his millions. But as the years went on, I realised how true his words were.

When I first start posting on Steemit, I thought it was great, because it gives me an incentive to write, and even if the site collapses before a single dollar is paid out, I will still come out on top, because I will have the articles I wrote. However, after the first payout, my eyes turned to dollar signs, and I got caught up in the idea of being a writer for a living, losing my focus in the process. Now, I must return to Earth.

Writing is its own reward. Creating something and expressing ourselves is one of the most sublime things that a human being can do. In the act of creation, you reveal your own divine nature.