The Madness of Investing '150,000 Yen Worth of Time (5 Hours x 30 Days)' into an Unprofitable Note

— 6 Reasons Why I Keep Going Even with 500 Yen in Earnings —

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[Income and Expenditure Calculation]
5 hours a day × 1,000 yen hourly wage = 5,000 yen
30 days = 150,000 yen time investment
Earnings = Only 500 yen
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*I replaced it with simple numbers.
If I were to convert my time into money... maybe this?
It's the hourly wage for a part-time job at an izakaya.

When I did this calculation, I was terrified myself.

Is this a rational way to spend time? To earn 150,000 yen a month:

• Sell 10 articles worth 500 yen every day, or

• Sell 1 article worth 5,000 yen every day, or

• Get 150 people to sign up for a 1,000 yen membership.

No matter how you look at it, it's an 'impossible game'.

One day, having wandered into such a labyrinth of thought, I was asking myself questions in front of a coffee cup.

'Why am I spending so much time on such an 'unprofitable' activity?'

Have you ever been writing a note and suddenly done a calculation like this?

The Labyrinth Named 'Monetization'

50 days since I started note. I tried releasing a paid article, but it only sold for 500 yen.

'If things go on like this, against a time investment of 5,000 yen a day, the earnings are almost zero...'

Despite that situation, for some reason, I keep writing notes.
'Isn't this just strangling myself?'

Various excuses float through my head:

• 'Because it's an investment period...'

• 'Because it's for skill improvement...'

• 'Maybe I can monetize it in the future...'

But is that really true? Let's be honest with ourselves.

The Path to Realization

1. The Wandering Draft

I started a draft to turn this dilemma into an article.

I began by writing, 'Let's think about monetizing note,' but I hit a wall immediately.

I thought, 'Is it like a street performance by an unsuccessful musician?' but that didn't feel quite right either.

'It feels strange for me to say something so bold when I've only been doing this for 50 days...'

The draft kept wandering further off course.

2. Consulting ChatGPT

So, I tried consulting ChatGPT.

Several article ideas came up.

• 'As a foundation-building period for an artist...'

• 'Time value as an investment...'

• 'The monetary value of a hobby...'

But none of them felt right. I felt like something important was missing.

3. A Sudden Realization

And then, it suddenly hit me.

'Isn't what I'm seeking the feeling of taking on a challenge?'

Six values that cannot be measured by revenue

Reason 1: The precedent of 6,300 hours in Splatoon

Actually, this is not the first time I have devoted time to a hobby. Previously, I spent 6,300 hours (about 260 days!) on a game called Splatoon.

As I wrote in a past article, Splatoon was a game that 'stimulated the brain's reward system to the extreme.' The uncertainty of winning or losing, immediate feedback, the sense of skill improvement, social connections...

However, even after 6,300 hours, all I had to show for it was being 'a little good at Splatoon.'

Note is different. What I write remains. The shift of time from Splatoon to Note was a transition from 'fleeting rewards' to 'cumulative rewards.'

I already know the emptiness of 'having nothing left after finishing a game.'

🔍 Comparison Points

Splatoon Note Immediate satisfaction Accumulated achievements Repetitive wins and losses Remains as a record Only technical improvement Deepening of thought and expression

💭 A question for you: Have you ever been so absorbed in something that you spent time on it, only to wonder later, 'What did I actually gain from this?'

Reason 2: The 'sense of being challenged' that I cannot get in my main job

Because I am a beginner at Note, I research, practice, reflect, and try different methods every day. This is a feeling I can no longer experience in my main job.

After doing accounting work for over 10 years, it has lost its freshness. It is a routine that continues calmly. The feeling that 'today is the same as yesterday.'

Even when I propose using AI at the company, I don't get the reaction I expected. Everyone doesn't want change, and the atmosphere is dominated by the idea that 'things are fine as they are.'

On the other hand, Note is different. The tension of creating content from scratch. The joy of seeing readers' reactions. The excitement of wondering, 'What should I write today?'

There is no one at my company to teach me work, but there are many on Note. And they do it for free. It's nice to see people working hard, isn't it? Perhaps because there is a culture of liking each other's posts, I think there is an atmosphere that naturally supports people who are working hard.

I realized that this is the 'sense of being challenged.' Even though I am still a beginner, I strongly feel that I want to be kind to those who are just starting out.

[Main Job] ➡️ [Note]
Rut ➡️ Freshness
Homogeneity ➡️ Crossing borders
Rules ➡️ Freedom
Correct answers ➡️ Exploration
Loneliness ➡️ Resonance

💭 A question for you: When you feel like 'I want to try something new' in your daily life, what kind of situation is it?

Reason 3: It sounds stupid, but I love the moment I press the publish button

This is a slightly embarrassing confession, but...

When I think I've written an interesting article, even though I set it to be published at a scheduled time, I end up canceling the schedule because I think, 'I want to publish it right now!'

Sometimes I even post multiple articles in a single day. Even though I set a goal for myself of 'one article per day,' I love the thrill of the moment I hit publish so much that I even break that constraint.

'Will anyone read this?' 'What kind of reaction will I get?'

That thrill is similar to the tension I used to feel while waiting for a match in Splatoon.

But at the same time, there's a difference. In Splatoon, whether you win or lose, you're 'back to square one,' but on Note, the articles accumulate.

This combination of 'thrill and accumulation' is what has me hooked.

💭 A question for you: You all know that thrill of the moment you publish something, right? How do you feel in that moment?

Reason 4: The expansion of thinking brought about by cross-boundary learning

'Accounting x AI x Note x...' The fun of crossing different fields is also a major appeal of this place.

I work as an 'accounting professional' at my company, but if I stay confined there, my perspective narrows. I become a 'frog in a well.'

In this creative space, I write about AI, look back on my Splatoon experiences, think about time management... By crossing various domains, my thinking expands.

In this way, getting feedback on my articles or learning from articles by other writers introduced by my followers—there is a pleasure on Note similar to 'Puyo Puyo,' where if you just stack 'Puyo' randomly, you might trigger a massive chain reaction by chance. Well, I tried to sound clever, but simply put, it's just 'accidental encounters.'

When my paid article sold, I was surprised. Someone paid money for my article. And it wasn't someone I usually interact with in the comments, but someone I didn't know. The discovery that 'there are people watching me in secret' was a huge encouragement.

What sold was an article I wrote about Note's tag strategy. This wasn't some unique method I invented, but rather my own interpretation of what many people have said, combined with the tags I've used on my own articles so far and the results, turning my beginner's realization of 'So this is how Note's tag system works, right?' into an article.

I didn't think it would sell, so it made me feel that monetization (regardless of the amount) might be something worth aiming for.

But at the same time, lately, I find myself thinking too much about 'monetization.' Even though I only sold 500 yen worth, I find myself thinking, 'I have to write articles that sell more.'

I didn't start this for the sake of profit in the first place, so why is that?

Perhaps when humans see numbers, they just can't help but want to chase them.

💭 A question for you: Have you ever experienced being torn between your 'original purpose' and the 'visible numbers'?

Reason 5: Discoveries Made Through Trial and Error

When I started Note, I was anxious, wondering, 'Will I be able to keep this up?'

So, at first, I secretly set a '#100DayChallenge' for myself and decided to just keep going for the time being. (Though I didn't have enough confidence to declare it publicly.)

After continuing for 50 days through trial and error, I realized that it's interesting precisely because there is 'no right answer'.

In corporate work, there is a 'right answer.' In accounting, for example, there is a 'correct way' based on laws and regulations.

But the world of content creation is different. What to write, how to write it, what style to use... it's all up to you.

The challenge is monetization, but even with pricing, there's the balance of how much to set it at, how much to make public, the relationship with other monetization methods (monetization methods other than paid articles), or how to mix them. Since my only experience with communities is free collaborative magazines, I don't know what method suits me. Well, I think I have no choice but to try them one by one. These worries also started from the fact that I 'tried publishing one paid article.' There are so many things I don't understand at all, and it's worth the challenge. It's a feeling I haven't experienced in my main job for a while.

This 'degree of freedom' stimulates creativity. Failures and trial and error all become learning experiences.

💭 A question for you: Is there anything you are exploring while in a situation where there is 'no right answer'? That uncertainty might actually be a great charm.

Reason 6: Meeting people who have the same worries as you

One of the charms of the Note field is the resonance with the people who gather here.

Meeting people who can successfully verbalize things I had only vaguely felt.

The sense of relief in realizing, 'Oh, I wasn't the only one.'

The discovery of thinking, 'So there is this way of looking at things too.'

By coming into contact with perspectives and ways of thinking that I wouldn't encounter in my daily life, my own thinking expands.

I read someone's article and empathize, then leave a comment. And then I get comments on my own articles. This accumulation of small dialogues creates new insights.

The feeling that 'I have a place here' is the driving force behind me continuing.

💭 A Question for You: Have you ever felt the joy of meeting people who share the same worries or interests?

Why it's worth continuing, even if the hourly wage is hell

Even so, I want to write on note every day. Even if it's not read by many. Even if it doesn't generate revenue.

What I realized after 50 days of continuing is that there are people who give me 'likes' consistently, I occasionally receive warm comments, and above all—I have the realization that writing itself is truly moving my life forward.

Having written this far, I've finally reached the core. The reason I spend time on note is because I am seeking value that cannot be measured by money.

6 reasons why time should not be converted into money

• The sense of challenge: Bringing fresh stimulation to a monotonous daily life

• The joy of crossing boundaries: Connecting different fields and broadening the scope of thought

• The tension of publishing: The thrill of the moment you press the post button

• Discoveries through trial and error: An adventure in a world without correct answers

• Connections through empathy: Meeting people who have the same worries

• Accumulation of results: Daily small steps taking shape

Of course, I want to think about monetization someday. But now, I've come to believe that 'continuing' itself has value.

'If you keep going, something will change.' This was my original intention when I started note. And in fact, many things have changed in just 50 days.

New values I want to find in the next 50 days

For now, another 50 days. I will try to keep writing without forgetting my original intention and without being swayed by revenue.

In the next 50 days:

• I want to delve deeper into my expertise in accounting and AI

• I want to value dialogue with readers even more

• I want to continue my reflections on the 'value of time'.

• I want to gradually establish my own unique style of expression.

(If I start calculating my hourly wage again and get scared, I will reread this article.)

*This article began as a draft of an article that never made it, written by me while I was struggling with the 'value of the time I spend on note.' It is a conclusion I reached after thinking about various article ideas and worrying over them. I have only been doing this for 50 days, so I cannot say anything too grand, but I hope this will be helpful to those who have similar worries.

How much time do you spend on activities that cannot be converted into an hourly wage? What unexpected value have you found in them? If you would like, please let me know in the comments. Let's think together about 'value that doesn't become a number'.

#TimeManagement #note #HabitFormation #SelfInvestment #Challenge #CrossBoundaryLearning #Essay #Output #WritingHabit #Monetization #ContinuingEvenWithoutProfit #SideHustle #SkillUp

Postscript:
I wrote an episode about the behind-the-scenes of writing this article.