I’ve left Hive twice. Pack my bags, rage-quit, "I'm done with this," gone.

And yet, here I am again. I've actually been back and active for a few months now, but I still find myself struggling with the same old feelings. It’s like a toxic relationship. You know the kind—where it frustrates you, you know you "suck at the game," but you keep coming back because when it’s good, it’s actually pretty great.

We all care about the value of Hive, but I’ve noticed there are two types of people here. Some care about the current Hive price—those are the ones who withdraw frequently to cash out. Others care about the future price. I belong to the second group. I’m here for the long haul.

But to stay for the long haul, I need to address why I almost left in the first place, and how I plan to reach 15,000 Hive Power in 2026 without losing my mind.

The "Hate" List (Why I almost left... twice)

Let’s get the salt out of the way first.

• The "Lifestyle" Bias: Hive is increasingly becoming a cookbook, a photo album, and a dictionary. Don't get me wrong, these articles have value. But mostly, if you write about other stuff, the community neglects it. It seems the main curator and whale accounts focus on these topics. So, if you want to create a post with decent value, you know exactly what you have to do—and that stifles creativity for the rest of us.

• The Curators: This is personal, but to put it mildly: they miss my posts. With the decrease of active posters, that neglect feels even more intentional. I know there are factors involved—gender, country, topics—but apparently, I miss the mark on all of them. If any big curators are reading this, I promise my sports predictions are more exciting than a picture of a latte. Give it a try.

• The Spam Factor: Nothing crushes motivation quite like seeing a low-effort spam post earn more than a genuine article you spent an hour writing.

• The "Gem" Delusion: I honestly think sometimes I do write a gem, or at least a post which does add value to Hive. I pour time into research and writing, pressing "publish" thinking, "This is it, this is the one." But apparently, to the rest of the community, my gems look a lot like pebbles. It’s a humbling (and frustrating) reality check when you think you’re Shakespeare and the blockchain treats you like a spam bot.

The "Love" List (Why I’m still here)

If the list above is so long, why am I typing this? Because the "Love" points are stronger.

• The "Share" Button: I have a genuine love for sharing. Whether it’s an idea I had, a piece of research I dug up, or an experience I lived through, I just like putting it out there.

• The People: Despite the curation frustration, the individuals I interact with in the comments are genuine, smart, and great to talk to.

• Freedom: I can write what I want. No corporate algorithm (technically) tells me I can't speak my mind.

• The "Logbook" Utility: As a developer and bettor, Hive is the perfect immutable logbook for my tools and predictions. It offers transparency that you can't fake.

The 2026 Strategy: The Road to 15K

I started the year with 12,000 HP. My goal is 15,000 HP.

That leaves a gap of 3,000 HP to fill in 365 days.

• Curation: ~500 HP (Free)

• Interest: ~360 HP (Free)

• Comments: ~300 HP (Earned via genuine interaction)

Remaining Gap: 1,840 HP. That breaks down to roughly 35.4 HP per week, or ~5 HP per day.

To hit this, my posts need to average around $2.00.

The Premium Dilemma & The "Fool Yourself" Strategy

Will every post hit $2? Probably not. Especially since I'm undecided on renewing my Premium subscription on InLeo. Let's be honest: If I don't renew, 60 to 65% of my posts will likely fall below the $1 mark.

My plan is to try the first month of 2026 without the renewal. I need to see if I can reach my goals organically. However, I know myself. Seeing posts consistently underperform the $ benchmark kills my motivation faster than anything else.

So, if I see my motivation slipping, I will renew the subscription. Is it a financial loss? Maybe. But if I have to "fool myself" with a premium subscription just to keep my morale up and stay active, then it's a necessary evil.

As for the Power Up option (100% HP)? I will use it from time to time. But honestly, I have no clue if a post will be received well by the community or not, so I can't predict when to use it. For the rest, I'm taking the 50/50 option because, unlike my Hive earnings, my HBD savings account doesn't judge me.

The Content Plan (Changes Incoming)

I’m turning 50 this year. Half a century. That milestone has triggered a need to be more active—both on-chain and in real life.

1. The "Premier League Model"
   Problem My prediction model posts are a weird beast. On Reddit, they get decent views but earn $0. On Hive, they don't earn a lot either, but they do trickle in some HP. The problem is volume. During the holidays, we had 5 matchdays in 2 weeks. Posting that much felt like spamming.

• The Fix: I won't spam. I will try to combine results and predictions into higher-quality posts.

• Timing: If I do post the model, it will be the second post of the day (if I have enough inspiration for a primary post).

• Why keep it? I dislike the idea of stopping completely because I value the logbook aspect of Hive. It keeps my record honest.

1. Actifit & The "10K" Rule
   To combat the "turning 50" slide, I need to move. I will use Actifit, but with a strict rule: No 10K steps, no post. I won't clutter the feed unless I hit that mark. If you see an Actifit post from me, know that I earned it.

2. Staying Authentic (and not chasing)
   I’m not going to start posting recipes or photography just to chase votes. I am sure those authors cook delicious meals and take great photos, but I am no cook and I am no photographer. I’m a bettor, a coder, and a guy trying to hit 15K HP.

I also won't be chasing whale or curation votes. If they come, great! If they don't, that's also fine. Everyone is free to choose what to do with their stake. I'll just keep doing my thing.

So, here is to 2026. I’m staying, I’m posting, and I’m grinding. Let’s see if the "Love" side of this relationship wins out this year.

Do you have any goal set for 2026? Do you share the frustration? Any other ideas or input. Just drop a comment! I always reply on genuine comments.

Cheers,
Peter