Chasing Connection or Chasing Numbers?

When I started SavePointDad, it wasn’t about likes, followers, or subscribers. It was about proving something to myself.

I wanted to learn how to build a website, the ins and outs of social media, and how to build something from scratch really just to see if I could. Could I create a corner of the internet that felt like mine? It’s so huge and basically limitless that I wanted to say a small piece of it is there because of me.  

What I didn’t realize at the time is how much this little experiment highlighted not just my ability to learn something new, but also my desire to be noticed.

Validation

I’ll admit it, the first time a stranger followed my Instagram, I got a small rush. My Instagram page was up for about a week and I had four posts before anyone followed me. Someone I didn’t know saw my post and thought: Yeah, this is cool. *Follow*.

That tiny validation felt better than I expected. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a random project anymore; it was in many ways a performance. I needed more.

And then it started to grow. 100 followers. 1,000 followers. 2,000 followers. Once the direct messages and emails came in, I was hooked. Every new metric (subscribers, saves, and shares) was like adding points to a score that I didn’t even know I was keeping, let alone cared about.

That’s the funny thing about numbers; they have real gravity. They pull you in, even if you tell yourself, you’re above them.

Numbers

To me, there are two versions of writing.

Writing for me. At times I write something deep, raw, and personal. These are the pieces where I explore guilt, struggle, and who I want to be. That writing helps me think through my own thoughts. It’s not polished, jumps around a bit, and in many ways is therapy in disguise for me.

Writing for numbers. After several months I now have a better understanding of what people like and what social media posts or blogs will be clicked on more. As I am making a new social media post, I generally have a good idea of how to tweak them to ensure they are liked and shared out more. Writing like this isn’t bad, in fact, it’s kind of fun. There’s energy there that wants me to keep going. But it can feel like chasing a high score instead of telling my story.

Both styles of writing matter. And honestly, both have their place. What surprised me, though, is how quickly more views and clicks began to matter to me. When a post or blog didn’t perform well, I’d feel like it failed, even if it helped me. And that’s where the tension is.

The Numbers Game

Let’s be honest. It feels good to be heard.

When I log into Instagram and see more followers, when a blog post gets more clicks, it’s exciting.

It’s addictive, and it sneaks up on you.

But the reality is numbers don’t stop. They don’t reach an ending. There’s no final boss of social media where you get the credits to roll. It’s endless progression. A lot of us are excited to take projects on because they will eventually end. We can look back and say we are done and we did good work. With social media there is no endpoint.

I’ve caught myself asking: if the numbers stopped, would I still write? Would I still sit down after the kids are in bed and write these reflections? Or would take my website and social media down and move on to my next random idea.

The Honest Answer

Yes, well most likely. I think so.

When I write a post that helps me process my thoughts, helps me want to be better, or begin to understand my lack of patience, those pieces do something inside me. They let me save progress in a way that numbers can’t. Okay, so I realize I haven’t actually posted my patience blog yet but it’s coming. You would be surprised by how many ideas I have that I want to write about, and how many I already have sketched out. I’ve had moments where the words pour out, and I hit post, and it doesn’t matter if anyone reads it. I already got what I needed: clarity.

But again, it feels good to see likes. But it feels just as good, sometimes even better, to publish something and sit back with a sigh and think: That was honest and that was me. Does anyone else feel this way? And many of you do, that’s what I love about this. I take the time to write and you all take the time to tell me you have also been thinking the same. It feels almost surreal to know I’ve connected with so many people I’ve never met, will never meet, or even know their names. After I publish this, someone will be in Australia or United Kingdom and take the time to sit down, read this, and think about it. WILD.

Why I Keep Pressing Continue

Every time I question why I’m doing this, I come back to one thought: the writing is the SavePoint. It’s where I stop, reflect, and lock in progress.

It’s not about the followers or the social media metrics. It’s about leaving behind SavePoints that my kids might read one day, or that I can return to when I forget what I’ve learned.

That’s the SavePoint I care about. If the numbers climb, awesome. If they flatline, well, I’ve still got my SavePoints.

And maybe that’s the healthiest way to look at it. Social media will rise and fall, algorithms will change, but these blogs are mine.

A Note to You

Since you’re here, reading this, you’re part of the numbers. I am only on social media to drive people to this blog. The fact that you are here reading this means a lot to me.

Every view is a person with their own life and story. I can look at some metrics and see I have people subscribed from several different countries. That is just wild to me. You’re not some random subscriber to me; you’re someone who found something in my words that felt worth pausing on. That matters to me more than you know.

We will never meet in person, but we share the same space for a moment, connected by story. Whether you found me through a post on social media or my blog was recommended to you by a friend, you’re here now, and that is appreciated.

Both Can be True

Am I writing for me or for numbers?

The truth is, I’m writing for both. I’m writing to learn, to prove, to heal, to share. And I’m writing because it feels good to be heard.

But at the end of the day, if all the likes, followers, and views disappeared, I would still be here.

Because the best metric is the quiet satisfaction of saying: I put something out that mattered, even if it was only to me.

Thank You & Subscribe

If you’ve read this far, thank you. You’re proof that words can travel literally across the world, that thoughts can connect, and that numbers don’t tell the whole story.

If you want to keep following along as I figure out fatherhood, fitness, and gaming, the messy and the meaningful, subscribe.