Before I started making a living online, I was all over the place.
I’ve bought more ebooks, coaching courses and membership programs than I care to disclose.
I’ve spent thousands of dollars on things that I have never even used.
I’m going to make a guess and say that 90% of the things I bought would’ve worked if I just put in the time and effort.
By time and effort I mean 6-12 months of working hard. The internet is both a curse and a blessing. The opportunities to do what you want are virtually endless.
I’ve helped a few people behind the scenes and the problem I see the most is trying to bite off more than you can chew.
If you want to make money as an affiliate marketer, pick one program and stick to it until it works.
If you feel like blogging is better suited for you – because you want to share your passion, connect with others and maybe make your own products – then do that.
Fear of Missing Out
I’m well aware of the feeling when you’re looking for the best program out there. You don’t really want to commit because what if there’s something better that gives you faster results? This leads to pure insanity, because you end up browsing a bunch of sales letters that promise you fast results in just X days.
It’s all rooted in fear.
All sales letters are like that, so it will just end up confusing you more. On top of that, you start reading reviews and what other people think, and of course they are mostly positive, because most of these courses and programs work. You just have to commit. Stop jumping around and just pick something.
The good thing about the internet is that once you’ve worked hard on one thing for 6-12 months and started to make money, you can often leave it and it will produce income for you with little to no maintenance. You can then try something else if you want.
Dealing with Overwhelm
I learned this the hard way. I tried managing 5-10 websites. It didn’t work out well at all. Most of those websites are now sitting somewhere in cyberspace collecting dust. I was completely overwhelmed with all of the tasks I had to do in order to keep the alive, so I just left them.
I now work primarily on this blog. I have websites in the background that bring in passive income, but they aren’t the sole focus for me anymore. I worked on them before I started the Wake Up Cloud. If you try to launch 2-3 blogs at once, you are most likely going to fail.
It’s tough enough taking care of one blog. You have to post 3-5 times a week. You have to promote it through comments and guest posts. You have to be social. You have to connect with others. There’s no way you can do that properly with several blogs. Start with one and see what happens after a year.
Eliminate and Prioritize
Eliminate everything that you don’t need. Prioritize and make sure the most important and rewarding tasks come first. If you’re trying to build a popular blog, don’t try to start your day by commenting on 100 blogs. Start by writing one article for yourself and one guest post.
We only have so many hours in one day, so make the best of them. If you don’t have time to comment, then minimize it. Comment as much as you have time for. If that means commenting on one or two blogs per day, then so be it.
You have to be ruthless. If you want to succeed in anything it’s all about taking action and doing what brings results. When you’re starting to see the results you can start widening your focus.
Deny Distractions
New distractions are bound to pop up. In the beginning they are different programs and memberships promising you a brighter future. Once you become more popular you’ll start getting requests for things that aren’t worth your time.
This is something I’m starting to notice more and more with my blog.
It’s tough, because I truly want to help people, but I also have to prioritize and focus, otherwise nothing would get done and I’d end up helping even less people.
Focus
In the end it all comes down to focus.
Don’t try to pack your schedule full of things.
If you want to succeed and do what you love, less is more. I’ve noticed that working at 80-90% capacity and focusing on as few things as possible works best for me.
You have to choose what you want. It’s tough, because we don’t want to miss something cool somewhere else, but know that there will always be an endless amount of opportunities. If you try to chase every one of them, you will miss them all.
Follow your feelings, make a decision, find someone who knows what they are doing and follow their instructions.
That is the easiest way to get started.
Once you’ve had a taste of success, you can branch out.
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Hey, Henri. Your article is spot on. I too understand what it’s like to manage multiple sites and I agree, you won’t be able to accomplish something big if your attention is divided. Better concentrate on just one and put all your heart into it.
Peace and respect,
Ryhen
It’s especially easy to try to overextend if you’re looking to succeed faster and take shortcuts. Realizing that you’re only hurting yourself is where the turning point comes. Focus on one thing and make it count!
Thank you for this post Henri.
The blogging world is fairly new to me (my blog is 6 months old and is the first and only one I have had), but luckily I realised some of what you are saying here early on i.e. I am focussing on what I am passionate about (personal development) and just having one blog for now (I toyed with learning how to do mini sites but realised how much work my one blog is taking me).
The other thing I am doing is I am trying to go out my own pace. It works for me to post once or twice a week, so I know it will take longer to get my alexa rating down than someone who is posting more regularly, but am trying to take it at my own pace.
Some great tips about prioritizing – I am making a note of these to bring my content creation time up. I have no idea how I will monetize my site when the time comes, but I will keep working on increasing traffic and cross that bridge when I come to it! 🙂
Definitely follow your feelings on what pace you should set. I’ve discovered this the hard way and tried to force myself to do more. I’ve been making mistakes online for 2-3 years, so you’re already way ahead of me if I look backwards 😉
It’s a common stereotype with bloggers that there’s no project of idea they come up with that isn’t awesome. But you’re right, Henri, extending yourself as one person to multiple things just dilutes the quality and time you can put into any of them.
If anything, I’d suggest outsourcing and creating partnerships. Find others who can benefit from your project, especially if their skill set includes things you’re weak in. You don’t have to be the “Lone Ranger” for everything.
That has been my experience. I’ve tried to overextend several times and it never works out. But outsourcing and partnerships are definitely something that works if done right. I tend to want to manage all my projects and finding a good “manager” is hard, because the prices climb fast!
Great post Henri. It takes time to build things worth having, otherwise everyone would do them. Success is achieved by trying, failing and trying again, that’s the only working formula I know to be working 100% of the times.
Exacto! There are no shortcuts or magic formulas. Do what works and do it until your eyes bleed, or you may also want to stop just before that, it depends on your preferences 😉
Are you stalking me, Henri?? This was really close to the mark for me, especially that “bite of more than you can chew” bit.
100% awesome.
I may have followed you a few nights just to get inspiration for a post. I make no promises of stopping this practice.
Keeping your focus on as few things as possible is key for me if I want to get things done, and that is exactly what I have put into place with the Wake Up Cloud. Working well so far!
Really well-thought out post, Henri. I love “Eliminate and Prioritize”, as that is my key problem.
It’s quite a provocative title, when I read it, my associations go like this: success – successful businessman – eliminate and discriminate = success by any means necessary
And then it was something entirely different. I was actually scared expecting a post about being ruthless and not caring for anyone or anything except you and your business success.
However, it was something entirely different. And I agree with you. I currently don’t have much time. I am on university and have a lot to study. I am still new to blogging, I’ve started on a blogger platform and have this blog about ebooks for quite some time, been experimenting a lot with it, I even managed to get it high for some keywords last 2 months, but then recently Google totally bumped me on pages 3 and 4 for the four main keywords I fight for.
It’s been a pleasant experience. I also spent a lot of money, time and had a lot of frustrations and disappointments trying to get that one opportunity that will skyrocket my income in a matter of eye blink. I was losing more money than I was getting
When I finally started to radically change my approach and simply focus on one and only thing, six months later I’ve seen a small baby steps progress in terms of traffic and income. I even get a decent traffic from Google now for a lot of long-tail phrases
It really all comes down to focus and everyday work.
Henri,
Well thought out ideas as always. As you know I’m part of several projects. But, before I could even delve into those I had to bring my main blog to a certain level. I also knew those other sites would be things that I could not work on myself. I do have some much bigger projects in the works, which means that I will have to scale back commitments on certain things. Like you I’ve purchased several programs and ebooks. But when I joined blog mastermind I committed to doing every single thing in the program. I knew that if I followed through I would benefit from it.
That’s the kind of attitude that will lead to success. I think the same way. Now when I join a program I’m either going to do it 100% or not at all.
It’s good to read something like this every once in a while to make you realise what your priorities are. I need to cull a couple of deadweight sites and focus only on those that are making sales and growing.
How many sites do you operate that generate you income Henri? I think the reason so many bloggers spread themselves so thin is because they have a misguided belief that everyone else has more projects, more traffic and more income.
When you realise that you CAN make a good living off only a couple of sites, you stop focusing on quantity and instead deliver quality!
Great post and some cool points. Cheers, Henri!
I do have quite a few that generate income, but I would say that the large majority of my income is generated by 2-3 websites. It’s the 80/20 principle coming into play.
But what I want to stress is that I didn’t start these websites simultaneously. I worked on one until it started making money. Then I moved onto the next and so on.
People usually need to re-focus and look at the long-term instead of the short-term. You can make money blogging, but it takes patience and hard work.
Hey there, Henri:
Once again, there’s not a chance in this world I could have said it better myself.
You are bang on target, as usual. This post should be a must-read for newbies and wannabes. Your pearls of wisdom have done us all a world of good. Insightful.
Congratulations. Keep up the good work. We are here to support and cheer for you!
Awesome stuff, Archan! Thanks!
Hi Henri, really great article! I needed to read this – it is true, and though I think my subconscious gets the idea and pushes distractions away, my mind is really easily seduced by other stuff. I have a recipe blog on the side and am planning on writing a website for indigos – I think I will but I do need to sort out my priorities – luckily the others are community blogs started by me so I don’t have an obligation to do too much. I’m trying to work out how these side projects can link into my main focus as much as possible, get new readers for my main blog. Well, when there’s a sacrifice to be made, I know what I’ll sacrifice.
I’m not using any paid course on blogging 😀 Mainly because I don’t have any money, LOL. I wanted to get Site Build It! for a long time, but I’m kind of happy I’m doing this the homemade way, just reading Problogger and Steve Pavlina’s advice on making money from websites. It keeps it simple. Be good to get a mentor who could point out my obvious blind spots though. (Want some more distractions? LOL 🙂
Anyway thanks again, great article. Gotta get back to my priority, writing a product review… damn… :)))
Hugs
Andrew
I know I have a few websites on the side that I hardly spend any time on. When I start something I want to focus 100% on that, which is the Wake Up Cloud. Working on other websites just feels boring and bland to me, so I leave them.
I’d strongly recommend getting a mentor or even joining a paid course. You could always save up money. It’s worth it to have somebody to go to when you don’t know what’s going on.
Henri, I think most of us can relate to this idea of having so many opportunities, that it’s hard to focus on just one. But focus is what cultivates success in any endeavor. I’ve struggled with that all my life – I have too many things that I’m interested in! For now, I’ve committed to growing the readership of my blog. (All while running my business, the one that pays me!) And I, too, have bought way too many guides, books, etc. – most of which I didn’t stick with! But, this time I’m staying focused. It’s my promise to myself (and my readers)!
You’ve got a good goal. Now start guest posting, commenting and putting your face on every blog available. Force people to join you and your blog! 😉
Wonderful post Henri! Your writing style is so inviting and authentic. I am about a month into blogging and can relate to all the information and distractions that come at you. I am learning that it’s best to focus on one thing and do it well. Thank you for confirming what my intuition already knew. Blessings!
Thanks, Jennifer!
I constantly get confirmation on my intuitions and it’s one of the things that has allowed me to trust myself more and more. I no longer feel as big of a need to listen to others when I can just listen to me.
Of course, if I want to learn something, I’m going to go to someone who knows what they’re saying and ask lots of questions 😉
first post i’ve read by you that taught me summen 🙂
magic.
+stumbled.
you get shit done. respect.
keep it reals mate
alex – unleashreality.com
Thanks dude! Now I’m curious as to what exactly I taught you in this article. Maybe I can expand on it in a future one? 😉
As always, thank you for the wonderful insight Henri!
Welcome you are, dear Shelly! 🙂
Nice Post Henri
Too many people jump in to this game trying to make money quickly. You’ve got to give into the online world in order to get back anything. That means give all of your effort to that monetizing program, give your time to your readers and give your attention to you blog.
I always feel funny about people who blog in this particular niche who go in to it for the money rather than trying to help people.
Priorities have to be in the right place. If people feel like you’re after the money they won’t want to link to you or even mention you. If you follow your passion, you’ll naturally want to share and help.
I often struggle with taking on too much, I get excited about projects and ideas too easily. I am learning to plan more and to look more closely at pros and cons of certain projects.
I got rid of 10+ sites I had last year and only have 2 now (starting a new project soon though) and will limit my own projects to just that.
I’m the same way, but I’ve learned to tame it by thinking if I really have time to focus on it. A good book on the subject is The Dip by Seth Godin.
Excellent to add on to my newest value in both life and on LifeDestiny.net…Simplicity.
I enjoy seeing this being a hot topic in the past couple days. I just posted about the 80/20 rule over on LifestyleDesignForYou.com and just saw that Garrett from Rock Star Lifestyle Design talked about it and someone else also talked about it.
Complexity comes into our life unexpectadly and unintended, we need to reevaluate the complexity of our lives every week or so. That hour to reevaluate eliminates tons of hours of useless complexity.
Heres a couple videos for thought:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BygEHtRYddo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIOpT4ImurQ
The 80/20 rule is something I resonate with a lot. Not necessarily the exact percentages, but the concept of doing less to get more done. Thanks for the links!
Yep, I’ve been there and done that. I also spent far more than I care to disclose. And yes some of that stuff would have worked if I put it into practice. Now I’ve got a strategy similar to yours. I set some goals and work toward them without being distracted like a puppy dog. 😉
Maybe it’s a Virgo characteristic? 😉
Hey I’m a Virgo too! Do all Virgos have an obsessive personality where it’s all or nothing?
September 4th baby, for the win! 😉
Thanks for the great post Henri! What you say is absolutely true. When I did the HAHD challenge, it forced me to focus exclusively on one thing–skin products. Before then, I was all over the place and my results were lackluster. The challenge helped me to focus in one area, and my results went through the roof!
So you absolutely have it right. Find what works, then wash, rinse, and repeat.
Focus breeds success! I hope you’ve continued to focus on that one niche. It’s a really good one as well, so you really can’t go wrong there.
I guess I’m luckier. I haven’t spent a single cent on ebooks and courses.
I started with writing articles for Helium, Associated Content, Dailyarticle, and learnt onpage seo along the way. Then I learnt about affiliate marketing, and now use hyperlink method for my blog post.
Since I started writing earlier, obviously my income from writing sites exceed affiliate marketing.
I will stick with it for the next 12 months, and make it works.
Out of curiousity, how much do you make from writing sites? I would of thought you’d need a hell of a lot of articles to make decent money with HubPages, Squidoo, eHow and the like…?
Henri,
Jumping all around definitely can kill your chances. It’s best to stay with one thing and ride it out until the end.
Productivity responds to focus. Most of us engage in activities that are not really moving us closer to our goals. To get ahead, we need to identify our core task and major on them. Core task are tasks that move you closer to your end destination. If you have too much doing, remember you can delegate or outsource so that you can focus on what really brings your income home.
I liked your post so much I even mentioned it in one of my own! I love your piece of no-nonsense advice above to “stop jumping around and just pick something.” 🙂
Here’s a link to my blog post:
http://www.lenagott.com/2010/10/12/why-you-should-you-put-all-your-eggs-in-one-basket-temporarily/
Very cool, Lena! Thanks a lot, and I am glad you agree 😉
Henri,
As a new blogger this article really helped me see a few important points more clearly.
Thank you very much! 🙂
I agree about focus but I think awareness as what you really want and who you are has to precede focus. Otherwise as Steve Covey says ” you might put your ladder up against the wrong wall”
I do come across so many products that I do want to buy but it’s just too many to choose from! I am one that has bought and bought in the past. Now I’ve doing more applying than buying.