I know, I know. Where have I been?

Licking my professional wounds, if you will.

I figure it’s best not write anything rather than to just write crap just to fill a day’s post. So… I took a few days off from the online world – or at least this site to rethink things and do some reading and learning.

You see, I was starting to hum along with photodailynews and bring it back to life, and then thursday night I checked my stats and I was gone from google. I was about in the fifth or sixth position for keywords and traffic was starting to grow daily and I was starting to get some hits and add some content, and then fffft – it’s all gone. I have more traffic from this site today than the site I was actually working on as an income earner.

If there’s a lesson learned it’s not to trust google, or depend or bank on them for bringing traffic to your site, as they can turn off the tap on a moment’s notice. In hindsight, it was pretty full of ads so maybe it looked too spammy and not enough value so google deemed it unrelevant to their readers. Who knows. But I’m not going to put more effort into a one site. The future is to have a lot of sites and get a trickle of targeted traffic to each site.

I had thought about making one authority site and over time have it rank for pretty much every keyword. Who knows, this might be the site, as after so many days of writing here – even if I have missed a day or two, this site is starting to get some traffic from the search engines. And, I’ve rambled on with over 70 posts and this is super duper competitive niche this debt freedom niche, so the fact that I’m getting any traffic this early on is promising.

What now?

Well now that I’m pretty much back to square one with the new projects, I think a job hunt would be the fastest way to debt freedom. You apply, and they either call or don’t. Instead of working on sites that may or may work I might as well get a job and then I can still noodle around on my stuff on the side, but what I really need is a bigger shovel to dig out of my hole with. I have pretty much spent as little as I can possibly spend so making more money is the next step. At the end of the year, the goal is to make $100/day. I don’t really care how at this point. Whether I’m a barista at starbucks, or making my own – a $100 day is a reasonable goal. I’m watching the time fly as flit from one project to the next, and I don’t want to look back at the end of the year and think, damn, it’s another year pissed away. I’m OK with learning from my mistakes, but somewhere, somewhere along the lines there has to be some money made that I can toss towards the debt and keep paying the rent.

I’ve had a real hard time with the job thing, as I’ve translated job equals failure. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Sure, If I get a job emptying garbage cans that may very well be true, but I’m more interested in a career at this point, or a story to tell, as that really is where the money is. I wish I knew this 20+ years ago. If you’re younger and reading this if there’s one thing I can share is this: The DVD collection or the latest ipod, or iPad doesn’t mean squat. The experiences in life are where it’s at. It doesn’t have to be skydiving or white water rafting either. It can be a cup of coffee on a rainy tuesday with somebody you love. That’s the stuff money can’t buy.

I’ve been thinking about the future a lot this weekend. I sure hope this is a mid life crisis, but when I think about money today, there’s two things that rock my world:
1. success.
2. new experiences

By success, I don’t mean BMW’s and hugo boss suits. I mean the entrepreneurial spirit in me. It can be small too the success. I’m just as thrilled making two bucks from this site as I would be from landing a job that pays six figures.. In fact, the two bucks is more exciting, as there’s promise for more. Money and adventure, and a story to tell.

Success could mean a new job.
Success could mean one new visitor for this site.
Success could mean one dollar against the credit card debt.

All this to say, my needs have changed and come around full circle. Ten years ago, I would have had the fedex guy at my door every day with a new box of cd’s or some electronics. (and did), but the stuff actually starts to own you after a while. Your collection of CD’s requires storage. Your electronics need replaced as there’s always a new product out that is bigger better brighter faster. You’re chasing your tail. It’s an endless cycle. I read somewhere this weekend that said: The stuff doesn’t love you back. And it’s true. So true.

But if you start to collect experiences and life instead – these things never go away. Quick – think about the best moments in your life. They happend with two things I bet: First, and most important: I bet your loved ones were with you. Do you remember your first kiss? you wedding? your first car? or even the movies this weekend? I bet friends and family made those worth remembering. And how much money did you have in the bank? or how much debt did you have? I bet it doesn’t matter or you can even remember. In the end, it worked out. It always does. And you’ve got memories that are priceless. Having things working out doesn’t mean having everything work outs out without hiccups and it’s like the movies. Bankruptcy could mean having things work out. At the time it might not feel like it, but bankruptcy gives you a second chance. A fresh start.

The credit card companies try to pitch that the priceless stuff only happens when you use their card. But really it’s the responsible use of credit and freedom from debt and enough cash flow that allows you to have those days of golf with the golden sunlight and perfect scores that are really priceless. It’s not the card or the new lacoste golf shirt,or the pricey clubs. it’s the experience. and having zero debt, or at very least a positive cash flow that allows the priceless to happen. That’s where the money is.

So I’m shooting for priceless. There will be more mistakes along the way for sure. Google will stop ranking my sites, clients might disappear. Jobs I apply for I might not get. But every thing that happens, good or bad is a story to tell, and that my friends, is priceless.

Thanks for reading.