The Challenge of Website Management

Over a year ago, I paid £144 for my Squarespace subscription to host my website, and over four years ago, I invested £300 in its design. Despite this, I haven't posted anything in over a year because my motivation fizzled out the moment I tried to organize my content into three separate sections.

These sections were intended to prevent me from merging my personal development insights with my work on athletic training for both adults and youth. However, the way I worded that could lead to some unintended interpretations about the content of my site. It's no wonder my wife feels the need to manage our finances meticulously to protect us from my potential oversights.

The Frustrations of Content Publishing

The draining of my motivation stemmed from the tedious process of formatting articles for my website. In contrast, publishing on Medium is nearly effortless—almost foolproof, if you will.

When it comes to my website, the layout becomes a chore. Images shift around the text unpredictably, their sizes often misaligned with the surrounding content, and ensuring brand-consistent colors is a hassle. The beauty of Medium's interface is that I can easily transfer text from Google Docs, add a couple of images from Unsplash, and hit publish.

I didn't start my journey as an online writer to obsess over formatting; editing should never take longer than the initial writing.

Motivating the ADHD Mindset

My ADHD brain truly lights up when faced with a challenge or when someone doubts my capabilities—unless it involves managing details, asking logical questions, or paying bills on time. In those scenarios, reverse psychology tends to backfire, as I often find myself agreeing.

Even though statistics suggest that I cannot replace my full-time income through Medium, a part of me wonders, "What if I could?" Imagine writing from a beach café, catching waves while learning to surf, and reconnecting to edit later.

If the Medium Partner Program is available in Australia, can it at least help cover a day's teaching salary? If I could pull this off, just one or two clients paying £60/hour for personal training could surpass my daily teaching earnings, leaving me time to relax at the beach.

The Joy of Competition on Medium

One of the advantages of competing on Medium is my lack of understanding about my competition. I consider this a positive aspect. According to the Medium statistics, my article titled "No, You Don't Have ADHD—Here's Why You've Been Misled" is my most-read piece.

This article has surpassed my highest-earning piece, "Enhancing Student Memory," in reads, despite the latter earning over three times as much. Monthly comparisons can easily lead to misunderstandings due to outlier articles, but that’s the charm of Medium and the joy it brings.

Sometimes, I will write an article in under thirty minutes, expecting it to go unnoticed, merely to express some creative energy. Other times, I pour hours into research and refinement only to see little engagement. Unlike other platforms where I struggle to create clickbait content, Medium rewards me for doing something I genuinely enjoy.

The unpredictability of success on Medium keeps my ADHD brain engaged, while the user-friendly interface allows my creativity to thrive.