For the Love of the Game
"Travis, how much money do you make from your blog?"
A curious question from a close friend. A few days ago was the 1,400th consecutive day I published an article on this blog. I've spent thousands of hours on this little endeavor, spanning nearly four years of my life.
Last week, a blog reader sent me a $10 gift card, which was a very sweet gesture. This gift increased my total lifetime blog revenue from $0 to $10. That's an infinite percent increase! Boom!
After accounting for my website costs, e-mail distribution platform, and the $650 of legal fees I recently paid for accidentally using a copyrighted photo in a blog post last year, my total net profit probably stands somewhere around -$3,000. Yes, that's negative three grand.
"Why do you do that to yourself?" the same friend asked. For the love of the game, of course! Not everything we do in life has to be for-profit. I do lots of things for profit. I coach, I consult, I speak, I sell coffee. My family is doing just fine. This blog is a passion with a purpose. I love doing it so much, and I aim to make an impact on this world. It's never lost on me that nearly 1,000 people wake up each morning to read 500 words I put in front of them while they were sleeping.What a blessing! What an opportunity! What a responsibility! I never take that for granted.
I'm not against making money from the blog, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to serve those who wish to be served. And someday, after I'm dead and gone, my kids will have some remnants of their father. A time capsule, if you will.
We ought not always measure success by dollars and cents. Sometimes, we need a different measuring stick.
This blog fills my tank: WIN
This blog fulfills a passion: WIN
This blog cultivates relationships: WIN
This blog makes an impact: WIN
This blog adds joy to my life: WIN
This blog is creating a lasting legacy: WIN
This blog makes zero money: Who cares? Not me.
Find your measuring stick. Only YOU get to decide what counts as success or failure. Nobody else's opinion matters. It's your journey, and you're the one who has to live with the consequences of your decisions. Therefore, make decisions that future you will be proud of. Hint: Having more money, stuff, and status probably isn't what future you is actually looking for.
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