allezhop

Man, the last few days I’ve felt like I haven't done much... but looking back, I really did quite a bit! I bought cruise cabin birthday decorations and first aid items at Dollar Tree yesterday morning, dropped off recycling, and had a lovely vibroacoustic bed session (even though the headphones were a little more staticky the last few times; I should really mention that to the spa). I’ve also been reading, exercising, and cleaning.  And today, after already completing another round of chores and exercise this morning, I’m finally sitting down to work on my YouTube channel. (Selectively Frugal)

I struggle with feeling like I’m falling behind if I take a few days off, but the reality is that my goal is two videos a month, and I’m on track to hit four. I just need to stop being so hard on myself...

I recently signed up for a "holistic financial coach" certification on Udemy. It was only $20 and it's an accredited program. I’m a little skeptical so far because it’s mostly focused on active listening - though I believe the Dave Ramsey coach program is similar, from the quick peek I took at that site - but I would like to have any kind of credential before my channel moves further into the "financial advice" realm. And if it is mostly active listening, I have a head start on that with a ton of training from years as a 7 Cups listener. 

Long-term, I’d like to monetize the channel beyond just ad revenue (and obviously even that isn't guaranteed). However, I’ve tried the blog monetization route before, and the sponsor/affiliate marketing world just isn't for me. It also doesn't feel authentic to me, and authenticity is a big part of the financial journey I'm sharing. I could, however, see myself doing financial coaching once I’ve fully gotten my own affairs in order and built a solid reputation.

Money and business thoughts often create a massive creative block for me, which has definitely impacted my workflow lately. While the certification is a good step, I have to be careful not to get lost in idealistic daydreams about the future. I need to focus on the reality of the process right now: create this video; complete this lesson. 

It’s only 9 a.m., so even if I spend the whole morning on the video and a few lessons, I still have a free afternoon ahead of me. I’m looking forward to starting my traditional Harry Potter marathon and getting back into A Drop of Corruption. I spent hours reading yesterday, and it was such a good feeling compared to the 15-30 minutes I usually manage for reading daily.