Chase Meaning, Not Clicks

I sent off my proposal for "Someday Is Not a Day in the Week" (which is based on the adventures and disruptive epiphanies from my Year by the Water) to my agent.

She sent it back a week later and said, "Your content is great, but you need to build your digital platform." In other words, whether or not I get another book deal (after 8 published books that have been sold in 17 languages around the world), depends a lot on how many followers I have on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

So, I did something I didn't want to do. I BOUGHT a program that promises to produce more clicks, forwards, and fans. And it worked.

But who followed me? Clorox Bleach. People with thousands of followers who don't even have a single post. (How does that work?!)

People I wouldn't know - and who wouldn't know me - if we saw each other on the street or sat next to each other in a restaurant.

People who are also "building their online platform." People who probably don't even read or care about the content I pour my heart, brain and soul into creating.

It just feels wrong. It flies in the face of what it means to be an author, speaker, storyteller, creative who is trying to add value.

So, what am I going to do? I am going to go back to doing what feels right.

I am going to go back to spending my time and mind on creating and sharing stories, quotes, images and lessons-learned here on Linked In, on my SerenDestiny site and Instagram that will hopefully inspire people and improve the quality of their life.

I actually thought about changing the title of the book to Chase Meaning, Not Clicks because that is at the core of what I learned on my travels. This book focuses on how we can concentrate on what counts instead of frittering away our time and talent on bright shiny objects and activities that won't matter in the long run. This book shows how we can get crystal clear about what's important and take responsibility for wrapping our life around that, instead of promising ourselves we'll do it ... someday.

I will immerse myself in writing the best book I can that shares my pebble-in-the-pond message (much like Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture) in the hopes it motivates them to reconnect with what really matters.

I will stop focusing on clicks and return to focusing on quality.

Maybe this is naive.

However, I will remind myself that I am already wealthy in what matters. I am connected with friends and family. I have joy and love in my life. I am healthy and physically active outdoors in nature. I have the freedom and opportunity to be creatively productive and do work I love with people I enjoy and respect.

I will focus on - and be grateful for - that. For that is what counts. Meaning, not clicks.

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Sam Horn, CEO of the Intrigue Agency, is on a mission to help people create quality projects that add value for all involved. Her TEDx talk and books – Tongue Fu!, POP! Washington Post bestseller Got Your Attention? (which Marshall Goldsmith calls "a must for every leader") have been featured in New York Times, Forbes, INC, Fast Company and on NPR. Sam's clients include NASA, State of Hawaii, National Geographic, Boeing, Accenture, Capital One and YPO. Want Sam to share her inspiring keynote with your group? Contact [email protected]