Objects, tokens, and metrics shouldn’t be your goal. Treat these as side effects of you doing the real work of learning about your audience, creating the best experiences for them, and building lasting relationships with them.
Public milestones are deceptive. They mask the true impact of your work, and they make you think that once you’ve achieved them your work becomes easier. It doesn’t.
If you overvalue public milestones, they could even lead to impostor syndrome (feeling like a fraud and being pressured to live up to others’ expectations). To avoid this, focus on reader experience and personal fulfillment.
References
Blank, Dan. Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. WeGrowMedia, 2017.