Life Now: February 2020

I'm sitting across from Scott in one of the local coffee shops. We had a fresh dumping of snow yesterday and the drive into town was breathtaking. The sun was a vibrant orange ball slowly lighting the tops of the trees with every hill and change in elevation.

Every so often I do this life update thing. Where I feel something big coming and need to get it all down. Or maybe something not so big and documenting that too. I think that's what journals are for but I've found that so many of you feel a similar way and so, I share.

A NEW DIRECTION

Guys, I am on the YouTube train. If you've been here awhile you know my very rollercoaster like relationship with videos. It's something I've wanted to get into but haven't quite committed to it fully.

But, things changed recently w hen I had this ah-ha moment one night after volleyball. I literally came home jumping up and down as I told Scott about it. Those are my favorite kinds of ideas.

I'm starting to make videos that take people behind the scenes of blogging. The ins and outs and what it's really like.

This is diving into a little business talk here, but there are so many people sharing about blogging through blogging but hardly anyone doing it on YouTube. If I'm looking at markets, it's a highly searched and sought after topic but the competition for videos is low. I've been wanting to do it for awhile but hate telling people what they should do, instead I want to show people what it's like through my experiences.

I know not everyone is in to the blogging thing but it's really gets me so darn excited. Helping people discover their passions and talents and showing them a way they can share those passions and talents with others. Sometimes even making money because of it.

I am so fired up about this because I can see it, ya know? The blog, I thought, "Let's keep doing it and it will evolve." The hats I said, "Let's try this and see what happens." But this, this I know will work.

I'm not done exploring Northern Michigan and talking about slow living, but my YouTube channel will be going a different direction. If you want to support what I'm doing it would help if you subscribe to my channel and share it with others!

I have a massive goal of getting monetized (making money through ads) in 6 months. And to achieve that I need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the past 365 days. It's going to be work, but I'm ready to make it happen!

Here is my first video that I made to kick off this new adventure!

BIG CHANGE TO THE BLOG

This probably won't impact you much, but it's a massive move for me. I'm switching my blog from WIX to Wordpress. It's going to be a giant undertaking but one that is necessary and I'm excited for.

This whole blogging journey has been one where I figure things out. Writing and sharing, yes. But also SEO and keywords and Google and Pinterest. It's a journey friends, one that goes beyond what you see. I chose WIX because it got me started and that's always the most intimidating part but the switch is necessary. Like any good thing, the blog has growing pains but I'm here for all of them.

MEETING PEOPLE

Making friends as an adult is hard. Especially when you work from home and never want to leave the cozy cabin...ahem, us. It's something we're working on and definitely improving.

We've gone on double dates recently and had a great time. Hanging out with neighbors more and reaching out to potential friends on social media.

They say you have to put yourself out there but it's hard. It feels like it's impossible to have that connection with someone again, like I did with my girlfriends in college, but maybe that's exactly what's holding me back.

LIVING BIG

I don't know why but it feels like a fire has been lit inside of me lately, actually both of us. Like we're inspired to go out and make this thing happen. Recently, I've gotten so motivated by seeing others doing big things. And let me clarify, big things to me are not wild and crazy and out there, big things are chasing a dream and diving into the unknown even when you don't have it all figured out.

It seemed like before, I would get....jealous isn't the right word but maybe discouraged is. I think I figured it out, I wasn't jealous of their success, I was jealous that they were doing something. I think because I didn't feel like I was doing anything.

And now that I can see this YouTube endeavor, maybe I feel like I'm finally doing something. I have a dream that isn't clear but I can see and I'm diving all in after it.

All I know is that it's motivating. I see others doing something, even similar to me and I want to cheer them on! I want to share it. It's fuel to keep creating and sharing and trying new things.

ABUNDANCE

Abundance. My word for 2020. Everyday it's on my mind. A life of abundance instead of lacking. Turning stress and fears into hope and affirmation. Shifting my mindset and seeing opportunities where I didn't see them before. Opening myself to new ideas and people and letting life in.

I love the one word for the year because I get to work on it all year, and myself. I get to let it become me and me it. If you haven't picked a word for your year, it's not too late! But then again, it's never too late now is it?

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You can see where my mind has been lately. A lot of work and dreaming and making things happen. Not being sure where we're going but going there anyway. I feel like at the beginning of the year I was stuck. Trying to figure out how to make the blogging thing work full time. I'm a year and a half in and not where I want to be, however, so proud of what it's become. But then I had this vision for YouTube and now it feels like it's all clear again. Like I have a purpose and a mission and am headed in a direction that I'm excited about.

Thanks for being a part of this, in every way.

I hope we all continue to find our dreams and chase them.

Steph

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