Celebrating Milestones: What 1,000 YouTube Subscribers Mean to Me
Bev Thorogood
??ADHD-Friendly Coaching for Gen X Women navigating the 'Messy Middle' - Transformational Coaching through the Messy Midlife Transition. ??Certified Women's Coach and Menopause Specialist.
I've just hit a thousand subscribers on my YouTube channel and in this article, I want to share what that actually means to me. It might not be what you think.
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I have been working on growing my YouTube channel since April 2023. In the last four or five months, I've really focused on working towards monetization, diligently tracking my journey with various videos. Two of the key criteria for monetization are reaching 1,000 subscribers and achieving 4,000 public watch hours within the last 12 months.
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Well, yesterday evening, I finally hit the 1,000 subscriber mark! This goal has been with me since the inception of my channel, and it’s something I’ve worked hard to achieve. However, as I sat with my journal to reflect on this milestone, I realized that my feelings were quite surprising and I got a couple of real insights to my beliefs.
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Journaling the Journey
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Here’s a precis of my journal:
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Friday, 20th of September 2024:
Yesterday, I hit a thousand subscribers on my YouTube channel. I was sitting there, continuously refreshing YouTube Studio, staring at 999, waiting for four figures to appear. When it finally did, I felt a wave of emotion that I couldn’t quite name—not excitement or happiness, more of a sense of relief. I took a screenshot, eager to shout about my #WIN!. It’s a good thing I did because 30 seconds later, it was back to 999, where it stayed for two more hours.
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“Refresh, refresh, refresh. Geez, what is the matter with me?” I thought. Getting obsessed. A couple of minutes later, it hit 1,001. OK, it’s real. I can relax. But then my head couldn’t stop, “Next goal: 4,000 watch hours."
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I posted a photo of my milestone in a new YouTube group but immediately added, “Now to get 4,000 public watch hours!” No time to celebrate, not even a moment to reflect on all the effort and money invested. Just a quick wave of nameless emotion and then onto the next goal.
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Finishing my post, I grabbed my journal to jot down new goals: 4,000 watch hours by Christmas 2024 and 10,000 subscribers by Christmas 2025. I asked myself, “What the actual f@ck? Who cares? Why do I feel this incessant drive to grow? Why, at 58 years old, is this so important to me?”
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Reflecting on Success
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I remembered when we bought our first brand-new car. The excitement of choices—colour, interior, features—and that new car smell. But a week later, the novelty faded. It was just a car. The same thing with my YouTube goal: Brief dopamine boosts, fleeting excitement. Like a hunter whose thrill dies after the prey is caught.
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Yet, it’s more than this short-lived pleasure. I’m proud of hitting 1,000 subscribers. Proud of the hours I’ve invested in learning, improving my skills, and the consistency I maintained. Proud of the supportive community I’ve built. It's humbling how much encouragement I receive daily.
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Before hurtling toward the next milestone, I need to stop and appreciate this moment. Not dismiss it with an “Oh, you got lucky.” Not undermine it by saying I had help or enjoyed it, dismissing it as play rather than work. It’s still work, even if you love it. Where does the idea that work must be endured come from?
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Success isn’t all luck. Maybe, just maybe, there’s effort, commitment, and yes, some talent involved. And that my accomplishments are truly earned.
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The Importance of Celebration
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So, here I am, writing a blog to celebrate a hard-earned goal. Pushing myself to publicly acknowledge my achievement and take this moment as a significant milestone. To remember that pausing to celebrate isn’t indulgent at all, and that the journey is more important than the destination.
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So, there you go. That’s what hitting 1,000 subscribers on YouTube means to me. It’s a reminder to celebrate the effort, hard work, lessons, and growth. The goal itself is just a target. The real joy is in the journey.
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If you would like to hear the full details of my ‘morning pages, click on the link below to watch the video I made.
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Online Marketing Specialist at Outsourcing BD Institute
2 个月Congratulation! Bev Thorogood
Helping Home Care Agency owners get financial clarity and peace of mind knowing that their accounting and taxes are in good hands, while Maximizing Profits and Reducing Taxes.
2 个月Exactly! It’s easy to rush past milestones without taking the time to appreciate what went into achieving them. Celebrating wins isn’t just about enjoying the moment—it’s about recognizing the hard work, dedication, and persistence that made success possible.
Developing Unshakeable Confidence in Female Leaders so They Speak Up, Step Up and Stand Out in Their Career. Working with Business Leaders and Individuals |Career Accelerator| Speaker | Facilitator|
2 个月Congratulations ??
Helping people managers and key staff navigate the impact of menopause in the workplace. A fast and effective eLearning tool - Menocourse is self paced and available on demand across all devices.????
2 个月Congratulations ?? Bev great achievement and yes it takes work ??. I had a brief moment myself yesterday when I completed my first ever intro video. the joy wasn’t in completing it though . They joy was in saying to myself thank f@ck that’s done ??