If I were smart and dedicated, I would be here a year ago, but I wasn't! Unfortunately!
Instead, it took me almost full 15 months just to become a Minnow and over 15 months to reach this point of 2000 followers. So, if you are new at Steemit and just starting your journey here, don't be like me! You can do it much better and way faster!

^{_{Source: Own derivative work created with graphic from Pixabay. Credits to Maialisa for event-banner, used under the CC0 Creative Commons license.}}

You might ask how it's possible it took me so long just to become a Minnow or aren't we all "small members" or even just arrived beginners automatically a Minnows. Well, we are not. In fact, until we don't reach the amount of 1,000,000 VESTs what is somewhat equivalent to 500 SP of our own Steem Power (eventually leased amount doesn't count in) we are just Red Fishes or Planktons.
(To read more about what determines are we a Minnow or not, you may check one of my earlier posts.)

So, why it took me so long?

As first, I wasn't among those lucky ones who were able, could afford or both to buy some STEEM and invest it in my Steem Power to somewhat boost my start. I had to start from scratch, from total ZERO!

As well, you should know, over a year ago, at the time when I arrived at Steemit things were way different than they are today. I believe the majority of Steemit newcomers are not even aware how lucky they are to be here at the moment.

Back then even the algorithm by which our earning calculates has been different. My vote has been so worthless that even at 100% of voting power I have received a message that told me I'm not able to vote as my voting weight was too small.

^{_{Source: Screenshot}}

I would probably get stuck there forever if by pure lucky accident four Steemit knights ( @bitcoiner, @fyrstikken, @juanmiguelsalas, and @patelincho) somehow didn't hear about my trouble and got me out of it by self-initiative donations that raised my SP from 6.506 to 23.186 SP.
(More about it you can read in my post from that time.)

Today, a new member who opens account even this very minute while I'm typing this would never experience that inability to vote and accordingly to earn some curation reward.

^{_{Image Source: Pixabay. Credits to geralt for signposts-hope, used under the CC0 Creative Commons license.}}

Keep believing in this network, the whole system, and hoping better times would arrive was an entirely different thing than it is today.

At first, STEEM worth was circling in between $0.10 and $0.20 US for a long time. Meaning, even the votes received from some bigger members (dolphins or orcas) wouldn't boost your post more than few cents (if you were lucky), and accordingly, the vote worth of some big whales was way smaller too. Leaving aside the fact that grabbing the attention of big or bigger fishes wasn't any easier than it's today.

Despite all of that, finding only 10 cents not to mention a dollar or two earning rewards under our posts was the proper cause for celebration although that displayed dollar would, in fact, worth much less than $1 US.

Today when STEEM worth is over $3 US and SBD worth over $13 US, and when each cent displayed under our posts as earnings reward, we may multiply by 6 or even 7 (as it would be the approximate real value we would receive in USD), people are dissatisfied, grumbling, nagging and complaining.

^{_{Image Source: Own derivative work with image from Pixabay. Credits to Clker-Free-Vector-Images for man-guy, used under the CC0 Creative Commons license.}}

If you are one of those and if you think those few cents are peanuts, I'm sorry to say, but you are a complete fool who doesn't know what lifetime opportunity you have been lucky to stumble upon.

And I can tell you that just because I was the fool too! Although that upward trend possibility even less some proof of it wasn't that visible as it is today, I was still a fool.

I made a perfect plan. I even call it "My Scary Steemit Goal." But you know what? I was foolish enough not to stick with it all the way through.

• I wasn't committed as I should be.
• I wasn't persistent as I should be.
• I had expectations without proper prior learning about Steemit, its rules and as well its possibilities.
• I was giving up and coming back with even several months long pauses, and
• many other mistakes and failures I can't even recall all of them anymore.

So, if you think it's easy to talk now when I or anyone else reached the point of 2,000 followers or whatever point that could be measured no matter if in number of followers, voting weight, Steem Power or what so ever, HAVE IN MIND that we all started from the same starting point and have been somewhere here.

_{Source: Screenshot also published under the post}

Why I'm telling you all these?

Because at the current moment you have a chance to reach that stage in only two or three months or even less if you are going to learn Steemit and use that knowledge wisely and the proper way!

And that's why I told you: "Don't be like me!" - Be better, because you really can!!!

_{Source: Screenshot}

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Posted on Friday, December 22, 2017

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