Episode 107: Follow the Money?

Last week, I talked about what happens after reaching a goal you’ve been chasing for a long time. This week, I’m looking at a different question: should we follow the money, or should we follow something deeper?

Money matters. It pays bills, creates stability, and can give us the room to build the life we want. But money can also pull us into jobs, businesses, trends, and choices that don’t align with who we are.

In this episode, I reflect on moments from my own life where I had to decide whether the money was worth the cost. From sales and security work to side hustles, writing, and creative decisions, I talk about the difference between using money as a tool and letting money become the thing that controls your direction.

In this episode, I discuss:

Why chasing money alone can lead you away from your values

The importance of integrity in work, sales, and business

Knowing when a higher-paying opportunity is not the right opportunity

How burnout can happen when money becomes the only reason you stay

The difference between using a job as a stepping stone and letting it trap you

Why side hustles and trends are not always as simple as they appear

The danger of copying someone else’s path just because it looks profitable

Building a financial foundation without losing sight of the life you actually want

Sometimes following the money makes sense for a season. But the goal should be knowing what you’re building toward, so the money serves your life instead of becoming your life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever taken a job, opportunity, or side hustle just for the money? Was it worth it?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

# Episode 106: Hit My Goals, Now What?

Last week, I talked about finally seeing meaningful progress from my writing after years of effort. This week, I find myself facing a different question: what happens when you actually reach a goal you've been chasing for a long time?

After earning as much from my writing in the first week of June as I did during the entire previous month, I started reflecting on the strange feeling that comes after achieving something you've worked toward for years. It's not life-changing money, but it's enough progress to make me stop and think about what's next.

In this episode, I discuss:

- The unexpected emotions that can follow reaching a long-term goal

- Why achieving a milestone doesn't always bring the fulfillment we expect

- The difference between creating what sells and creating what you're passionate about

- How goals evolve as we grow and change

- The importance of having a strong reason behind your ambitions

- Lessons from fitness, finances, travel, and creative work

- Why success often creates new questions instead of final answers

- Building a creative life that can eventually support greater freedom and flexibility

Sometimes the hardest question isn't how to reach a goal—it's deciding where to go after you've arrived.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What do you do after you hit a major goal?

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.

🎙️ Books By Josh Audio Immersion — Episode 105
The Moment Effort Becomes Evidence

There is a strange feeling that comes when something you’ve spent years building finally begins to show signs of life. Not overnight success. Not a viral moment. Just tangible evidence that the work you’ve been doing all along actually matters.

In this episode, I talk about what it feels like to finally see progress after years of writing, podcasting, and creating. Recently, some of my books started gaining traction, readers began discovering my work, and for the first time in a long while, I could point to real results instead of simply believing they might come someday. It is a conversation about persistence, patience, and the emotional reality of pursuing creative goals when there are no guarantees.

The truth is that most meaningful things take longer than we expect. Whether it is building a career, growing investments, learning a skill, or creating something you hope will outlast you, there are often years where the effort feels invisible. This episode is about those years and the importance of continuing anyway.

What We Talk About

• Seeing the first meaningful signs of progress after years of creative work
• Publishing books in new genres and experimenting with different ideas
• The emotional challenge of tracking sales, reads, and results
• Why patience is harder than most people admit
• The similarities between investing and building a creative career
• The books and authors that inspired my own journey as a writer
• Why creating something meaningful matters even if success comes slowly
• The importance of continuing when progress feels invisible

Why This Episode Matters

We live in a world that celebrates quick wins and overnight success stories, but most accomplishments are built quietly over long periods of time. The difficult part is staying committed when the results haven’t arrived yet.

This episode is a reminder that effort often compounds beneath the surface. Sometimes the progress is happening long before we can measure it. The challenge is trusting the process long enough to reach the point where the evidence finally appears.

Final Thoughts

Not every month will be better than the last. Not every project will succeed. But if there is one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that showing up consistently matters more than most people realize.

Keep putting in the work. Keep building. Keep creating. The progress may be small, and it may arrive later than you hoped, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming.

About the Show

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion explores ideas about growth, creativity, mindset, personal finance, writing, and the experiences that shape who we become. Each episode is a chance to slow down, reflect, and look at life from a different perspective.

The Books By Josh Audio Immersion is a reflective podcast focused on perspective, growth, and the quiet lessons we often overlook. Each episode is an invitation to slow down, think differently, and explore ideas that don’t always fit into neat categories.