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Getting Started Online – Take it Step By Step
When you just start out on your journey towards making money online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It seems like there’s just so much to learn, causing many people to go looking for “easier methods” and shortcuts. Sadly, those people invariably end up spinning their wheels in the air, and never go anywhere.
Facing overwhelm:
Yes, there is a lot to learn. But please do keep two things in mind: Firstly, none of it is really complicated – it’s just foreign concepts. Secondly, you don’t have to learn everything at once, or in a week.
Think logically: When you went to school, you were introduced to foreign concepts (reading and writing, as well as concentrating were new to concepts you had to adjust to). What they did was to take it step by step, and slowly build one new piece of information upon the other. Bit by bit, your existing “frame of reference” was applied to mastering new skills. Over time, your skill set grew…
Now, as you are starting out to do internet marketing, you are also faced with acquiring a whole new skill set. If you have a coach or mentor, or if you enrol in a decent online course, you will be taken step by step, and systematically be introduced to new and fascinating things. If you learn the new concepts in the correct order, none of it will seems like rocket science.
Lastly – if you ever feel overwhelmed when you see a course or ebook describing things you deem yourself incapable of – remember this:
When you have to cross a raging river, you don’t focus on the other side. It’s too far. All you focus on is the next rock you can hold on to for safety. Do the same with your journey in acquiring the skills for making money online and you’ll be just fine.
Don’t burn yourself out:
So many people get into online marketing all fired up, and they spend endless hours every day working on their new project…
And eventually it all comes crashing down – before they made a penny.
They forget that both the mind and the body have their limitations. They forget that most of us have lives (beyond work), and that shutting everyone else out can alienate those who care about you. They just dig in a slave away day and night, because instead of focusing on the next rock in the river, they are focused on the other side, and they want to get there as soon as possible.
The world is filled with stories of people who threw everything they had (time, effort, and money) into online marketing, and failed. The sad tales of people losing huge amounts of money, losing their spouses and alienating their friends and family – and eventually gave up – are heartbreaking because all of that could have been avoided.
Think of it this way – before you start: If you had to commit a set amount of time per day or per week to your project – indefinitely – how much time that would be? Yes, you want to go forward in life – but you have to remember that, even if you enjoy what you do online, it’s still work. If you allow your mind and body enough time to rest in between, it’ll perform better when you want it to.
In short: You’ll accomplish more by working productively for an hour, than you would by forcing yourself to work for three hours (after your day time job) if you are tired. Keep in mind that, the longer you keep working if you’re tired, the more your brain slows down, and the less efficient you become.
In addition to that, if you are in a relationship or married, you could cause a considerable amount of strain if you suddenly (completely) withdraw into your work. The resulting stressful atmosphere wouldn’t really help you to function optimally, so you will have to find the balance (between working, rest, and having a life) which works for you.
Be consistent:
Being consistent and persistent is key to achieving long term success online. Keep in mind that there are various aspects to making money online. On one hand you have your content which attracts potential clients or costumers to you. On the other hand you have your social media presence enlightening people about your existence and the value you can bring to their lives.
However – by being consistent, two things happen: Firstly, the mere fact that you are visible continuously means that more and more people will become familiar and comfortable with your presence. Secondly, being consistent in content creation, and then promoting that content, means that your visibility will systematically increase over time. Eventually you will “be everywhere”.
When you reach the point where your name pops up wherever your prospects turn, you become the logical choice to solve their problems, or to deliver on their desires.
In conclusion:
If you really want to be successful online, learn how to do it from someone who can. Don’t feel threatened or overwhelmed by the volume of “new stuff” you have to learn – just take it step by step. But whatever you do, keep putting one foot in front of the other.
If you don’t, you’ll never get there.