Horse Before Cart
It is easy to lose the purpose of the thing as you are doing the thing. Take for example this blog. It is just a personal blog. It is getting popular. People like my writing. It is easy to lose sight of the purpose though. Do content that gets more likes. More views. Obsess over metrics. Likes and views. It is easy to let the metrics of progress become the goal
I see it a lot. In college and school grades are supposed to be a metric for learning. Yet grades become the goal. Driving people to cheat or 'hack' the system to get good grades. Picking the right subjects. Studying only the relevant parts. It is important to define goals. If your goal is to just get grades and get a degree. Nothing wrong with 'hacking' it either. But it is important to define your goals.
My goal with this blog is simple. Write simply. Write clearly. Write often. I want to make posts I would have loved to read. Mostly. I am not trying to be perfect here. Perfectionism is never good. I know. I had a real problem with it.
The views and likes are a measure of people liking my writing. It makes me happy to see the metrics. To know I am having an impact on people. Gave them something to think about. Or just a simple chuckle. Metrics are cool. I like looking at them. But they are not the goal.
Purpose: Write Simply, Write Clearly, Write Often