Anyone else find themselves getting wrapped up in the little numbers below your post? How many views, how many shares, how many likes? Like these numbers are a reflection of my success for the day. Maybe even a reflection of how good of a person I am. And, of course, a reflection of how many people like me. As if the bigger these numbers are, the more I’m worth to this world. Anybody else?
Measuring “Success”
I’m not the kind of person who does something halfway. So when I started blogging, I didn’t want to be “kind of okay” at it, I wanted to be the best. And I wanted overnight success. Since that’s not how it works, I’ve read lots of how-to-have-a-successful-blog type articles and everything points back to numbers.
Obviously. It’s a numbers game. The more people who see your content, the more likely it will impact someone, which increases the chance for it to be shared and potentially go “viral”. If it goes viral, you get more hits on your site and you make more money through ads, referrals, affiliates, sales, etc. Then, you have to play the game and compete with everyone else trying to be successful too, so you better be cranking out content! Daily!
Because all of this is true, we focus on this number game day in and day out. For bloggers like me who aren’t necessarily looking to sell a product or push affiliates, the likes/followers/shares are all I have to measure my success. They are a tangible way to let me know people like what they see. The problem is in my thinking, when I make that leap from numbers are just numbers to: “These numbers show people are liking what they see. And if they like what they see, that must me they like me. And if they like me, then I’m ok, I’m worthy, I’m enough.” This logic seems airtight… Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks like this!
Remember the Mission
To be honest, the more I learn about all it takes to be successful as a blogger, the more overwhelmed and exhausted I feel. At times, it even makes me regret following the call to blog. Whenever those feelings crop up though, I remember back to that day in my car when God put this blog on my heart and I am overwhelmed with the feelings of why I started this in the first place. It was to fulfill His work, not mine. I said from the beginning, if I reach even ONE woman with a blog post, in my mind, that is SUCCESS. (Read more about Existing for More’s mission here.)
For me, it’s important to go back to my mission: to impact even one person with each post. The problem here is that I may never know if I’ve done it. Not knowing if something you share helps or resonates with someone is hard. Honestly, it’s thankless work. The funny thing is, this isn’t the first time in my life I’ve done projects where I don’t know the impact. However, it is the first time I can get my hands on some sort of tangible feedback which comes in the form of likes/followers.
Unfortunately, I cling to those numbers. They tell me my success rate and ultimately I’ve let them dictate my worth. Instead, what I need to remember is God will use all things for His good. I may not get an email from someone who related 100% to my story or post, and that’s ok. The point is, I allow His to use me, I am vulnerable, I share my story.
I’m Already Worthy
There is no need to define our worth by the numbers tied to our posts because we are already worthy. We were reminded of exactly that this past weekend as we remembered Jesus going to the cross for us all. Because we are worthy. The most important thing is that I do what He called me to do with this piece of the internet.
What did He call me to do? To get out of the way and allow Him to use me as He sees fit. This includes being vulnerable and sharing the crazy I have going on inside my brain or in my life. It’s not always the most flashy stuff that has the ability to pull in all the likes, but it’s what He has asked of me. Not only that, but I asked Him to use me through this blog. So, I choose to exist for more than the likes and followers on my social media. I’m existing for Him, to share His goodness.
