A Year Long Journey That Is Only Just Beginning

Well howdy all you WA'S,it has been awhile for me posting, but I could not let this one pass by.

You see while I was working away and leaving some site comments in the wee hours here, I got a pop up that though I was expecting I wasn't really expecting. Why you ask? Because that pop up is my

1 YEAR DEDICATION BADGE!!!

Yes I knew it was coming, but you see it was not expected I have had so many twists and turns in the past year that at one point about 7 months back I had almost lost everything wealthy affiliate including my websites. I think if I remember I was down to just one or two days before total deletion because I was struggling to pay for this and my websites. WHEW what a scary time!

Now a lot of you have read about my journey. For others, you can read the full details in my past WA posts.

Here is just a very short recap:

My Wealthy Affiliate journey started just weeks before I lost everything in my regular life. Yes I do mean everything. I had packed up the car and my traveling companion my little puppy Dolly and we headed out...to where we really were not sure except that it would be over 3000 miles and the destination at the time was Oregon. My brother had offered to help for the first time in his life. OK we had at least a glimmer of a plan, LOL

Word of advice here - please heed it- When you tell the Universe something make sure you elaborate a little. At the time I had said screw it I was going to start over even if it meant I had to with nothing Guess what ? That is exactly what the universe gave me. What ever you do- do not do that!

Back to Wealthy Affiliate I had signed up KNOWING it was going to work. Wealthy Affiliate was the only thing I knew I would be holding onto because I already knew the potential that affiliate marketing had. I had done affiliate marketing years ago when my son was small and the internet was still new and at the time I had made more then a few commissions. So I already knew it worked. I had also run across Wealthy Affiliate back then, if memory serves from Warrior Forum. (By the way if you are not a forum member go check them out, like WA they have stood the test of time.) Boy if I had only signed up back then. But the concept of building a full-blown website seemed like to big of a thing back then,especially because I was making commissions already with a simple 1 to 2 page web builder and clickbank. What happened to them you ask. Life basically, I got lazy and let life get in the way, Plus those 1 and 2 page sites would not have lasted for long, it was not future based, like Wealthy Affiliate is. Wealthy Affiliate is focused on you building an asset and for building your future.

So picture this if you will, I am traveling across the U.S. I drove basically straight across about 5 days. Stopping and sleeping in rest areas or truck stops in the car as I only had enough for gas and food. I would spend part of that resting time on my phone going through the OEC course. I even wrote my very first blog post on July 19th from my phone in a parking lot out in Oregon. Here is the post https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/cav1966/blog/starting-over-m...

My point here is to illustrate that you have no excuses when you want something!! If you have an internet connection be it WiFi a hot spot whatever and a device ie. smart phone, laptop then you can do Wealthy Affiliate or any affiliate program for that matter. Don't waste it saying woe is me and hanging out on Facebook...do some work towards your future....change your life even if it is a little at a time!! Heck I was working on Level 1 in the middle of Nebraska at a rest area in the middle of a corn field. No excuses! At the time I was still a starter member.

July 27th as soon as I got up to Portland and got semi settled for a bit I went PREMIUM ! My first article on my first website was also written and published. 1700 words!

Alright to shorten this a bit again if anyone is interested you can find my journey under my profile. Needless to say I have been across the US stayed in Oregon for a bit. Ended up staying in monthly hotels for a bit and even at one point living in my car with the dog. Yes this past year has seen me on a journey of a thousand plus miles, sometimes all up hill and other times moving down hill so fast it seemed like it wouldn't stop. A journey that I will be happy to finally have over. Am I there yet not by a long shot. Though by some twist of universal fate I have ended up back in Arizona. Used to live here and this is where my son started 1st grade he is now 24 so that was years ago. LOL Interesting side fact here Arizona was where I was living when I very first got into this affiliate marketing make money on the internet thing. At one point I was even working for AOL, anybody remember them ? LOL I am now staying and helping with my ex soon to be current in laws. Though unfortionatly not all positive as both in laws are nearing the end of life. Not to be sad we are talking dad in law 90 and mom in law 88. Both however have Alzheimer (mom in law) Dementia (dad in law) Another side note, I watch them in th evenings before the caregivers come and they have been married for 69 yrs now they still recognize each other which to me is amazing. Dad still says I love you. I hope some of you will be able to have that in life it is a beautiful thing. Will the ex soon to be not ex work out do not know time will tell. Technically we are still married but have been separated the past 6 years. Why because neither one of us actually wanted a divorce. Life is beyond strange at times for sure.

Wealthy Affiliate Progress For The Year

Websites - Right now I have 3 working sites in 3 different niches. Self Help that was my first and the one I try new things on. Pet niche site- actually it is a micro niche inspired my Jay's Football Snack Helmets LOL - This one is still very much a work in progress as it was started just before I got accepted into the SAC. Which brings me to my niche MMO and Wealthy Affiliate!

At one point I had 5 I just let two of them go. Hint one domain expires and is up for grabs on Aug 24 if you are wanting a best of site it might be a good domain for you. besteverydaygadgets.com

So 3 working sites.... Plus 2 that have framework only for later. LOL

Articles written across all 3 working sites 65 posts

Pages across all 3 sites 15

All but 5 of those above are over the 1000 word mark with the average being around 1300 words.

I have seen my rank here go up and down as well at one point a few months ago I actually broke top 100 spot! Right now I am at 139 I am alright with that has I have had to delegate my time and make my websites and writing for SAC a priority over the limited time I have in my schedule right now. Full time job again plus watching and helping in laws 4 hrs per day 7 days a week leaves very little time.

Money earned - Absolutely - My biggest commission was around $74.00 dollars on my self-help site... Funny thing is that this site is not regularly updated and to date it only has 10 articles on it!

My MMO Wealthy Affiliate site I have had around 5 one time commissions off of reviews that have been written. So yes money made but on a hit-and-miss basis right now.

My pet supply niche - nothing yet but I foresee football season right around the corner and sales with it. :)

Site comments yes money earned as well..right now to date Site comments has given me $86.50

Wealthy Affiliate referrals - 205 that clicked and signed up out of those only about 30 have gone on to complete and make a profile. Most of those have come from me playing around on Bing PPC. Only around 12 have actually come over from my website.

1 went PREMIUM!! ironically it was just last week before my first year was up. So the airplane has finally tried to get off the ground !! If you are wondering it was from my last Bing PPC campaign not my website.

There you have it One year of ups and downs highs and very lows.

For me the journey is just beginning and I am in it for the long haul. Just think everything that I was able to accomplish this past year against so many odds, what could I have accomplished if some of those road blocks had not been there.

Does Wealthy Affiliate work? Does the training work? Can you be successful?

YES!!

How? Simply follow the training - Do the work it takes.

Get your mind right. Yes your mind if you want this to work the fastest way to success is with your thoughts, your mindset is everything!!

I started this when everything was falling apart around me but when I signed up my mindset was I am creating my future. I am creating my business!!

The three sentences below are my affirmations that I tell myself every day without fail.

I am creating my future.

I am creating my business!!

I am successful!

Please note I used the words I AM ---not I will. This makes a difference folks

In short yes wealthy affiliate works. If I can manage this anyone can.

NO EXCUSES !!!!!

Looking I would also like to thank a handful of members here that have gone above to help keep me motivated. Vicki for always checking and motivating me even when I don't feel like even getting up. Showolf and her squid of squirrels have helped make me laugh. Our very own Jay and his replay webinars have become my all time favorite binge watching hobby!!!

Can't find something on tv or Netflix no worries hop on over to the training videos and binge watch Jay..make your wasted time productive. No excuses put the Netflix away!!

Of course Kyle and Carson. The amazing behind the scenes Site support, they have helped me more times then not. You guys are AWESOME!!!
All the Wealthy Affiliate community to many to name but you all know who you are.

One more piece of advice before I close this as it is already over 2000 words.Creating and making passive income that should not be your end goal. Your end goal should be a legacy one that you can pass on and be proud of. Something you built from the ground up,something you can look back on and say with PRIDE .. Look what I accomplished and look at how I have HELPED!! That is the end goal, your legacy, how many have you HELPED!!. The passive income will come and it is a goal. But not the END GOAL!

Give me your thoughts I want to hear them. Like the post, check out my full journey on my blog roll here at Wealthy Affiliate. Stop by and say HI !! Check out my websites.

Please share this on social media also use your affiliate link it will be greatly appreciated and might even get you a referral or two,