Agreed. I have started shifting my perspective so that I look at the WRITING PROCESS ITSELF as the main metric for my progress. In this way, I am attaining CONSTANT ROI on my efforts through the process of learning, exploring, and "working out" ideas through the process of writing. In this way I feel less of a need to focus on the money aspect of Steemit, and find more fulfillment in connecting with like-minded people who appreciate the effort I put into the writing, and find PRACTICAL value in some/any of the points I explore.