Monetized on YouTube, Crushing My Goals!

So, a little thing happened this week. I met my goal of 1,000 subscribers a bit early. I had figured by Thanksgiving and then actually said it was ok by Jan or Feb of 2025 so I’d have time to deal with becoming monetized.

Well…thanks to my giving notice video, I met that goal last week and am now at 3,000 subscribers which I met overnight. I’m so honored and thrilled. Of course over the weekend I followed the steps that YouTube had outlined for me, after I got their email that I could apply for the YouTube Partner program. That included a verification process, email and info, applying for Ad Sense account and being approved through them, and then finally being approved through YouTube by having an appropriate account to their guidelines, etc. A couple of days ago that process was complete. And I was able to start earning money after clicking a few agreements and buttons. I was asked if I wanted to earn per video individually selected or overall just all the videos. I selected individual because it said if you chose all at once that if any one had a copyright claim on one of them it would stop earnings from all the videos. So I didn’t want that. I have turned on a lot of the videos. I haven’t had time to go and do all of them yet. lol. I will eventually get them all turned on for monetization.

In looking in my account, I already have earnings adding up! ;-). That’s sweet. Now I feel a tremendous responsibility to up the game a bit. I already had started planning out the videos a bit with more of a theme but – no worries, they are still vlog themed.

The Lord is blessing the work and goals that I have had this year. I have prayed all year that it was in his own timing and tried to be patient through it all and not quit, knowing it would eventually happen if I kept pressing forward. So glory to Him for blessing us with the channel and I will include His leading in managing it.

I’m off Friday and will use that time to look into being monetized. I’m eligible to do brand deals but I did not turn on that feature yet. That is too much pressure right now. I’ll turn it on after I retire, and after I make sure I have met some other goals that come along with having your own business, etc. I just have some dot some I’s and cross some T’s. You know I’m methodical like that. I can’t earn too much during the years of 62 through 67 so I have to be careful in thinking big, lol. But it would be great if the YouTube channel could pay for my insurance, pay for the cost of making the videos, and pay for some electronic equipment I want: new camera, a new apple watch, an apple laptop of some type for when we travel, a new iPad. I have a lot of expensive toys to upgrade. I also will need to upgrade my phone before long. Might do that by switching phone companies again during a deal but we’ll see. All these things are 2025 projects.

I had AI on WordPress to make the office pic attached. It took 3 tries to get one I liked. You can press the button to try again and it’ll keep trying til you like it. lol. You can tell AI did it because some things are just not finished out right. For example, on the left hand side, what is that “mess” hanging up there, lol. Is there a mouse hole under the chair in the wall? I don’t know, lol. But it’s fun.

Reading Adventures

Forgive if I’ve already posted this. I’m getting old remember? But I have had this book picked out for a week to begin reading. I was going to read John Grisham’s latest book but decided to wait til retirement. I want to read sailing or RV’ng or travel reads while I’m working. I don’t want to read any lawyer or business type books until next year. Looking forward to starting this one.

The days are dwindling. I’m in the 70’s of having like 78 days left of work or something like that. When you take off the weekends, the holidays, my planned PTO days, it’s down to a little over 2 months. I was like….WOW! Time will go by fast. Fall always does as we are so busy. Now with the YouTube grabbing even more of my attention, it should really make it fly by. There’s more people commenting and I try to reply, like, or love, each one. Even the snotty ones. I like the fact they are at least creating more hoopla for the channel – as more comments means more love from the algorithm I suppose. I’m amazed how many people hate their employers and would not give any notice at all. It shouldn’t amaze me as my career was in HR most of my life, but usually the people in less professional roles had that attitude I suppose. I will always feel a salaried person should give 3 to 4 weeks. I suppose if the employer is extra crappy then that might be another thing. But I wouldn’t want my professionalism to be damaged by someone telling someone else I left without notice. No way. Not me. Something really bad would have to make me mad for that to happen. I suppose it can, or could. But hopefully not. It hasn’t yet anyway. That’s not to stay I haven’t had to leave for a bit to shake things off or take a day off to do so. Anyway I’m getting off on a rabbit hole. Here.

So for once things are looking up. It’s busy but I’m just thrilled.

What captures my heart in TEXAS….

Guess who is 5 months? He’s loving his baby food. We get face times at their dinner time sometime. River (3.5 years) has been able to go into the kitchen and get things. He told his Mom – “look Mom I can get my own cookies” (and had several, who knows how many eaten already). lol.

I looked at houses in Weatherford, TX on break today, just for fun. The prices are not too bad. Coming down a bit from what they were a couple years ago it seems. I’m not sure if we’ll move or not but, it’s fun to think about and something I’ll enjoy doing from time to time to keep tabs on. The dilemma will be…are the kids gonna stay there or not because if things were to change as they always do – they might be somewhere else. I just always pray about it and the timing and the Lord just knows. You know I love to plan EVERYTHING, but things are always on God’s time line. He gives us room to grow our wings and stretch and plan and dream but ultimately it’s His timeline, His leading and His approval.

So….I’m gonna go and see if my YT video is still uploading. It’s only 56% from where I started it this morning but I think it stops when my computer screen savor comes on or it goes in rest mode or something. I hate to have to get George to go jiggle the mouse every now and then but it’s not his job, lol. Anyway, see you guys on Saturday more than likely for my Retail Therapy video where we go do some shopping and I show you my haul!

Take care. I need to exercise too. I’ve been bad – really just busy – this week but I can feel the need to move my body.