"Your life should revolve around the company," a few years ago, my department manager called me in for a meeting and told me this sternly, word for word.
I admit, that fresh graduate me was heartbroken.
He forbade me from pursuing my passions outside work hours, and based merely on whispers from a few coworkers, he doubted whether I was handling personal matters during work time.
I didn't have the courage to defend my position. I only quietly asked him to trust that I was serious about work, swallowed my grievance, and spent four months reversing his impression of me. By the week I resigned, he wanted to keep me, but I firmly refused.
Because what I couldn't understand was why he didn't bother to learn about my character and work ethic first, but instead blindly believed the lies of a few senior employees and used that to judge my every action.
Years have passed, and those words and treatment that once trampled on me, those sarcastic traditional beliefs, have all become experiences and nourishing sustenance for my life, building my resilience and shaping who I am today.
After that, I seriously picked up my pen to write my story. Three years have passed, and the momentum of my progress has far exceeded my imagination.
Never underestimate yourself—this is the deepest realization I've had over the past year. To put it this way: since I officially launched my website and started writing articles seriously, about 11 months have passed, accumulating 180 articles. That's roughly 15 articles per month, one article every two days, each starting at 1,500 words.
This has earned me 3 columnist positions, invitations to in-person talks, publisher inquiries, and a book planned for release by year-end (please hold me accountable).
"Seeing pioneers like you who are so proactive and thoughtful really encourages me too," this was the encouragement a junior colleague from work gave me. I wouldn't claim my articles are exceptionally well-written, but fortunately, they've brought readers and friends influence and something to think about.
A netizen asked me how I do it. In a short time, I identified three key elements, which I'd like to share with everyone
First, be your own spokesperson
When you're at your smallest, you must take the initiative to fight for yourself if you truly want people to know. My most straightforward approach is to share my own articles across various active and relevant communities, spark conversations, and attract new audiences.
Finding relevant communities is also crucial, because these people share similar interests, and if you can provide the knowledge they crave, you'll win them over.
Second, storytelling and personalization
What I believe I'm best at is "transforming trivial life matters into something consequential." I don't preach lengthy truths. Instead, I draw readers into my life, making them part of my journey.
I love citing a phrase or a thought I had at the time as the focal point of an article, like "No one has to take responsibility for your knowledge" or "Work is only a matter of fit and adaptation." These are things anyone can say, but how you give these words a background, a context, depends on each person's life experience and is different for everyone.
So when my article output starts to decrease, it means my life has become too mundane (cries).
Third, consistent output
Don't fear no one reading, don't write just for the sake of writing, don't obsess over engagement numbers. Be yourself, and you'll be the best version of you.
Honestly, what worries me most is that most people are flighty and blindly follow trends. They see others doing well and think they can do it too, or they underestimate themselves. Even though they could succeed by persisting, they lose their inner soul and insight because they care too much about what others think.
However, content and branding have never been things with quick shortcuts. You must ground yourself and take it step by step, setting goals and connecting your life. Eventually, you accumulate strength until there's an energy explosion—patience, waiting, becoming excellence, standing at the forefront, and welcoming your moment.
