This is my story…

When I first started working the net, my goal was to make 3k/month so that I could raise enough money to invest in my business, pay off debt, and more than anything, see that it was possible to make decent money online.

Once I hit that, I wanted to replace my military income (plus a bit extra to account for things like insurance) and make 5k/month. This would allow me to leave the military in July without having to get a job.

Although, on average, I’ve been right on the mark this year, the funny thing about being an entrepreneur is that you can’t count on anything being consistent.

Some months, it’s 20K, the next it’s 5K, and as frustrating as it might be to budget based on those numbers, the truth is that it’s all going to plan.

So how does it work, and furthermore, how did I do it?

Ship on Time

Tip #1…

Understand that your business revenue revolves around your ability to “ship on time,” and launch products.

If I weren’t constantly in the process of creating something new, then I’d hit dry spells reminiscent of Steve Carell in the 40 Year Old Virgin.

And that my friends, simply wouldn’t work. So I’m constantly creating new products and services.

Some of them, like Beyond Blogging, Roark Media, and Blogger Beats, make it to launch, while others, such as the dozens of projects in my garbage can, don’t.

That’s something that you have to accept. Not every idea blossoms into a winner, but being able to work on 5 or 6 things at a time gives me the opportunity to fail, and fail often.

It just takes one winner to help you make revenue for the quarter…just one.

Beyond Blogging was my first project of the year, and to be quite honest, it was my first real push.

To make that one work, Mike and I spent 5 months building something we thought would be worth selling. Once it was complete, we tore it apart and tried to find ways to make it better. This added another month to the process. By the time we’d finished with the manuscript, the design, and the launch plan, we’d spent 6 months creating this bad boy.

That’s a lot of time to spend on something that isn’t a winner.

Thankfully, this one was a winner.

We recruited an army of affiliates and launched it without reservation. We blasted the web with that book, and our numbers showed.

We hit 5 figures in 24 hours, and doubled it within a few more days.

When all was said and done, we grossed enough cash to feel OK sitting on our asses and drinking Blue Moon all day.

But we didn’t.

We immediately started planning the post-launch, which included a 2nd version of the book, a DVD of the month, and a mastermind project.

Although 2 of the 3 are still in the works, we used our newly found presence to build a program that would help people achieve the same thing we’d done over the past several years.

It’s called the Beyond Blogging Project, and it’s a small mastermind group of 50 people (many of them lurkers!).

We’ve dedicated our lives to this project, because if these bloggers don’t succeed, then we don’t either. So far, things are looking pretty good, and they’ll continue to do so, because we care about the success of each and every member.

Tip #2…

When you have something worth selling, bust your ass to get it out to the market. Once you’ve done that, do it again, and again, and again. Each effort should not only match the last, but multiply it.

Most importantly though, make sure that your shit is worth buying. If it isn’t, you’ll lose everything overnight.

Care about the people that give you money and understand that you’re lucky they chose you over the guy down the street.

Once Beyond Blogging was off and on the way to six figures (that’s our goal for this year), I started working on other platforms.

Although I could’ve started selling ebooks on how to make money online, I didn’t. Not because everyone else is already doing it (really…they are), but because it doesn’t interest me.

Instead, I co-founded a series of new ventures that gave me the chance to develop other skills and share other interests. But here’s the key…I don’t work with just anyone, I work with rockstars, because that’s what my customers deserve.

One of these businesses has just launched, and is already close to capturing it’s first several clients (these aren’t cheap products either), while the other launches this Saturday (Blogger Beats, check it out).

They are shipping on time too.

Tip #3…

Keep your eye out for talented people and don’t be afraid to ask them if they’re down for kicking some ass. Don’t ask everyone, or else you’ll look like a JV whore. Instead, ask only those that fit what you are trying to do long-term.

Lastly, diversify your efforts and never put your eggs in one basket. If Beyond Blogging died today, I’d have several other places to hang my hat.

These projects are getting ready to launch, so guess what I’m doing now? That’s right…creating new shit.

I’m working with Susan Baker, the Escape Hatcher, to come up with something very cool. I’m also working with Michael Martine, David Risley, and my pal Mike CJ to create something that’s missing in the market.

I’m planning next year’s business in this week’s strategy sessions.

Tip #4…

Always be ready for next year. Always have something in the pipeline ready and waiting. Nurture your contacts today for projects next month. It’s never too early to start something new. Don’t overwork yourself, but don’t take your foot off the pedal.

I realize that this isn’t specific how-to advice, but the truth is that specific advice doesn’t work. You’re the only one in your situation, and the best advice I can give you is to keep planning, keep building, and keep scaling.

You can either try to sell 2,000 ebooks for $50 each, or you can sell a few hundred of dozens of products, have tons of fun, and satisfy your dreams at the same time.

My goal this year was to make 100K gross, and I think I’m on track to do that and more, but here’s the thing…instead of trying to build a single 100k business, I’ve tried to build 3 or 4 25k businesses.

Should each one go over, that’s fine with me, but in the end, I’ve got a nice pile of chips and I’m not afraid to go all in.

Are you?

Image Credit

How to Quit Your Day Job and Build an Empire is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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Editors Note: This is a guest post written by Joseph Ratliff, who I’ve come to know pretty well thanks to some fantastic conversation in the members area and in other places around the web. Joe is a guy, that like me, loves to keep it real…and you can tell from his writing that he’s not going to take any prisoners when he creates his own empire. That being said, if you’d like to challenge him, or any of us, with a guest post of your own, then send me an email and we’ll make it happen.

As entrepreneurs, because we don’t follow some traditional “rules”, we’re sometimes thought of as “rebels.”

That thought makes me vomit in my mouth every time I hear it. What are we really “rebelling” against? Let’s analyze that for a minute:

• We must be rebels because we “think differently”, instead of following some pre-determined “standard ways” to live set by society that are older than my grandpa.

• We must be rebels because, for the most part, we hold ourselves accountable to improve, instead of looking to blame other people and institutions for our shortcomings.

• We must be rebels because we actually took the initiative and supposed “risk” to want to work from home or create a business in a real world where you “need to get a good job” according to society. I use the term “risk” lightly, because it’s actually riskier to hold a single income at a job that dictates our lifestyle…but don’t tell anyone that because you’ll really be labeled a rebel.

• And on, and on…

Are we really rebels?

Or is that just a term used by society in general to describe us?

Should we even accept that description as the “norm”?

Or, should we raise the bar as entrepreneurs?

I think we should raise the bar.

I think that every time we get the chance, we should encourage others to join us as entrepreneurs. Sounds cult-like I know…but think about it for a second…what really happened to your quality of life when you “took the leap” as society describes it?

Most of the entrepreneurs I talk to won’t ever give it up, even when the chips are down.

Personally, my quality of life improved drastically once I realized that working 8 hours a day really ISN’T required (who wrote that “rule” anyhow?).

Sure, we have our long days, but it’s at our discretion as entrepreneurs…not some stupid “work for work’s sake” mantra.

So…I ask you the question again…

Are we really rebels? Or, should we be the ones setting the standard?

And one last thought…

Are you following the rules, or creating them?

A BONUS THOUGHT:

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase “think outside the box” right? If you “think outside the box” as an employee, and sometimes as an entrepreneur, you typically get praise or recognition of some sort.

My bonus thought for you today is…was there really a box to think outside of in the first place?

Joseph Ratliff is a direct response copywriter, internet marketing strategy expert, and author of Success Is Straight In Front Of You (PDF), a compilation of popular business success articles and forum postings.  You can read more, including 5 Reasons Why Your Internet Business WILL Fail This Year at http://josephratliff.com

Image Credit

Do You Follow the Rules? is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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“Peace is Every Step.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Those are the words of a very enlightened man, and when I read them, it serves as a strong reminder that peace is not something to be waited for, but something to be achieved.

It bothers the hell out of me that there are so many people walking through this world as a ghost walks through walls. Life…each day of it…serving merely as an obstacle that bars passage to greater things.

They’re 16, 30, 50, 60, and 100 years old…age doesn’t matter. The similarity is not the situation, but the opposition…the grief and the heartache.

It’s this sort of sadness and futility that leads to much darker things, but the tragedy of it all is not what could become, but that it can all be avoided.

Grieving Your Death

Life is distracting.

As children, we wake each morning reaching towards the sun…stretching our limits, our minds, and our perceptions. There’s nothing we can’t achieve, and the only thing we’re waiting for is the ability to fly.

But then something horrible happens.

• School beats it out of us.
• Good grades.
• Careers.
• Religion.

Walls, like prison cells, slowly lock us away from our dreams.

We’re told to be realistic, and so we get distracted by the “normal” stuff.

Suddenly…years have passed and we’re living a shell of a life, and we can’t figure out why we’re miserable.

Suddenly you’re “too old” or “too far gone” to achieve your dreams. You’re grieving the death of your soul while you still live.

In order to live a life that you design, you need to sacrifice that part of yourself that holds you back and get rid of the martyr complex.

Yeah, it sucks…but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. It’s time to stop focusing on the negative and instead, start believing.

Waiting for a Hero

In other parts of the world, there are people waiting for someone to rescue them. They’re just trying to make it through today so that tomorrow can be better.

But “peace is every step.”

There is no hero coming for you. No one is going to give you permission to fly.

You already have wings…you simply need to remember how to use them.

You are never too far gone to be where you need to be. There’s no such thing as it being too late to be happy.

We have but one life to live…why spend any of it being miserable?

The healing begins when you take responsibility for your own success and happiness.

Redemption takes place when you forgive yourself for not being perfect.

Success comes only for those that have the courage to step out and dare to try. There’s no room at the top for complainers, whiners, and non-doers.

Every Day is a New 24 Hours

I lifted this one from Thich Nhat Hanh too, because it’s perfect for what we’re saying here.

You don’t need to have had a perfect past to have a perfect future. Today is the best chance you’ll ever have to make a change.

Make it.

I’m tired of hearing excuses for why people can’t be happy. I hear them all the time from friends, family, peers, and people across the web.

Excuses don’t buy happiness, and no one is going to feel sorry for you that you didn’t have the courage to step up and Reclaim Your Dreams.

Today is a brand new day, let’s make it count.

It’s never too late for redemption. Your empire awaits.

Image Credit

It’s Never too Late for Redemption is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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Editors Note: This is a guest post by the very talented Fiona Verschoor, who blogs about language learning at BabyStepstoFluency.com. She’s one of the fabulous members here at NathanHangen.com and as you can tell from this post, is well on her way to creating a Kingdom of her own.

Are you a big dreamer? Or do you prefer to cower among the rest of us, doing what is needed to move forward but never truly making significant leaps?

So many people think that as long as they make progress that they are doing well.

But they get held up on routine, everyday tasks.

Or they think that posting weekly and releasing a product once in a while is enough.

Isn’t that enough?

No, of course it isn’t. What are you thinking?

What happened to dreaming big? “If you reach for the moon you’ll land among the stars”?

We all know of some big dreamers. Bill Gates. George Washington and his associates. The guy who invented the wheel.

Do you want to be at their level, or simply ‘good’? Do you want to truly be on the cutting edge of your field, or do you simply want to make do?

I’d go for dreaming big.

I have a secret to tell, however. I wasn’t always a big dreamer. I was well known for doing just enough to get by in high school. It’s why I almost didn’t graduate (but hey, that’s a different story).

It didn’t take me long to realize this really wasn’t the way to go.

In fact, it was harder being a reasonable dreamer and doing what I needed to get done than it was being a big dreamer.

Why? Reasonableness is what everyone aims for – everyone looks for achievable goals, applies for achievable jobs, aims for $1000 rather than $1,000,000 because it’s more achievable. Go ahead, people, do so. I don’t mind at all.

Why?

If everyone is so damn reasonable, I’ll have no competition at the top. I can achieve my big dreams by being unreasonable. Not only that, it’ll often be easier simply because I’d have no competition.

I’ll apply for the unreasonable jobs, because no one else is.

I’ll reach for $1,000,000 because no one else is (they have to give the money to someone, right?).

I’ll reach to be the top dog, because everyone else is fighting to work for the top dog.

So be reasonable, people. Dream small. Go ahead, I’ll be laughing at you at the finish line.

For the big dreamers out there

I am one of you now. I want to change the world. I want to help millions of people learn languages. I want to be an expert in more subjects than I can count.

A lot of my dreams can’t be accomplished in my lifetime (I think world domination is one of my more achievable dreams). Some require immense risks. And though I may not end up achieving all my dreams, I’ll still be at the cutting edge of my field and be teaching others to get to my point when I’m done dreaming.

Because I’ll land among the stars, even if I don’t reach the moon.

If I get to the stars, I definitely wouldn’t be complaining. Stars are pretty.

Believe it or not, I’ve been making much more progress since I’ve decided that I want to be a big dreamer. I go out and look for, and find, opportunities. It is easier to be creative. I am slowly achieving some of these big dreams, dreams that everyone told me I wouldn’t be able to achieve.

After all, I want to be making my own path, doing something no one has done before.

And, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Big deal. I learned, and I can educate others about what I learned and what did or did not work.

Isn’t dreaming big the way to go? I definitely think so.

So, are you reaching for the moon?

Are you dreaming big or not really dreaming at all?

Fiona Verschoor is a Dutch Assassin, world dominator, blogger, and ninja extraordinaire. Check out her awesome blog, where you can learn that foreign language you’ve always wanted to learn…or you can just hang out with her on Twitter.

Image Credit

Dreamin’ Like a Superstar is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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As winter dies a slow death and the sun starts to peek its head, I’ve started to get that itch to get outside and feel what it’s like to live once more.

Being trapped indoors for the winter, for me, is like living in hell…I can’t stand it.

However, what’s interesting is that during the winter months, I tend to do a lot (and I mean a LOT) of soul searching. Being trapped with myself in a room essentially forces me to examine what it is that I’m really looking for in this life, and what’s funny, is that by the time I’m through with the exercise, I’m nowhere close to where I thought I would be.

2008 Changed My Life

It was the winter of 2007-08 that started it all for me.

Like any other winter, I was picking and choosing the things I wanted to accomplish in the new year and trying to decide how I was going to conquer the world.

The only problem was that these were the same things that I’d written last year, and the year before, and the year before that, ad infinitum.

It suddenly dawned on me that I’d been all talk and no walk, and that was like a dagger in the heart.

From that moment on, I decided to stop talking about things and start doing them…and oddly enough, it started with running.

A Partner in Crime

My friend and fellow Soldier, Gabriel, always talked about running. Usually I just blew him off…I loathed running…despised it…thoroughly. However, as strange as it sounds, I always envisioned myself tackling a marathon, and so one day, while I was recovering from the dagger, I said “what the hell, let’s go running.”

At that moment, my life changed.

I learned that in tackling something I didn’t enjoy, like running, that I learned how to take control of not only body and mind, but of my life.

Eventually I became an addict, and as I realized my new found power…which was that I could conquer the things in life that made me miserable…I started upping the ante.

Next thing you know, I was running a 5k or 10k race every weekend…half marathons a few times per season, and eventually, Half-Ironmans (triathlons).

The Bleed Effect

But it didn’t stop at running, biking, and swimming. Even though I deployed that summer, there was a switch that had flipped and suddenly, I felt like I could conquer the world.

I stopped being lazy with my goals and started tackling them head on. I got back into the groove of building businesses and started practicing Internet marketing and blogging.

Months later I looked back at my list and realized that for the first time, I was on the way to making some pretty big conquests…I was going to make the goal sheet my (insert 5 letter word).

What happened here was that in taking control of my life and in learning to turn something I dreaded into something I enjoyed…I’d realized that there was nothing in my life that couldn’t be achieved…given enough time and effort.

Today

Today I’m well on my way to completing the tasks I set out to. My business will carry me once I leave the military, and I’ll finally be moving to Florida, which is something I promised myself long ago.

I’m still working on a lot of things, but the point is that I’m working on them…they aren’t going on the same list this year.

For the first time ever, my list looks different, and it’s because I finally took action and regained control.

Your Turn

So I’ll ask you:

What did you promise yourself this winter?

What goals did you set out to achieve once the ice melted and the sun returned?

How are you going to take advantage of the rebirth that occurs at the first sight of spring?

There has to be something that you desire…something that you’ve hoped for.

In my case, it was becoming a triathlete and entrepreneur, but I was afraid of both.

What are you afraid of? If you were going to die tomorrow, what would your bucket list look like today?

There’s never been a better time than now.

There’s Never Been a Better Time than Now is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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I want it now.

I don’t want to have to work for it, but I still want it.

I deserve it.

It’s my turn.

I’ve suffered enough.

This is the type of thinking that scars entrepreneurs and keeps people from achieving their dreams.

They aren’t willing to work for it…they see others becoming successful, and instead of analyzing that process in order to see how they can repeat it (hence the book, Beyond Blogging), they ignore the years of hard work that successful people might have put in and instead focus on the end result.

Jealousy and bitterness replaces hope and optimism, and all too often, it happens very quickly.

My Failure

I once owned a real estate business that I built from the ground up. I was making nearly 5 figures per month on my own, without a single employee, and most of my day consisted not of hard work, but of sales presentations and phone calls.

It was great…in fact it was so great that I got greedy and lazy…and guess what? It fell apart more quickly than the US Hockey team in overtime.

For years I was paralyzed by fear…fear of failing again…fear of rejection…fear of losing it all once more.

So I tried to learn what it takes to be happy just paying the bills…working a job that I hated. I consciously let go of my dreams so that I could learn how to do this…I was going to accept just existing…what a tragedy!

But then something happened…I was laid off a week before Christmas without so much as a thank you or a going away gift. That was one of the lowest points of my life. Here I was….trying to do things the “right way,” by “being realistic” and not dreaming too much…and then realizing it was nothing more than a big lie. I was a replaceable cog in a shitty machine.

So I found myself in the US Army…following the path of my grandfather and trying to reforge a new sense of self worth. I found a renewed sense of discipline during my time in the Army. I learned what it’s like to really be in the suck…I learned how lucky we are to have the opportunities we have. To be able to walk away from a job at any time and create a real life for ourselves….through nothing more than some hard work and a bit of chance.

Reclaiming Your Destiny

And that’s when I started pouring my energy into something that I believed in.

That’s when I started running, and writing, and believing again…

That’s when I spent 8 months in Afghanistan building a business in my spare time while my friends played XBOX.

That’s when I let go of my fear and put everything on the line once again.

Why Live at All?

I realized that a life without passion and a sense of purpose is one that isn’t worth living. I realized that I still had time to pick up my dreams, dust them off, and make a run at it.

You know what happened? Things started falling into place once more, and the only difference between now and then was that I tried…I refused to give up.

You know how Gary V says all the time that he’s going to own the NY Jets? I have no doubt that he will.

Why? Because he believes, within the very fiber of his being, that he’s going to.

And that’s how I feel about my own success; it’s just a matter of time.

The Winning Difference

That’s the difference right there. That’s why some people fail and some people succeed. That’s why people don’t stop until they’ve made it, while others quit before they get to the end of the rainbow.

Belief…

Yes, there’s hard work involved, but if you don’t believe in yourself, then who will?

If you don’t believe in your dreams, then who’s going to make them happen for you?

No one.

Yes You Can

Why then do I see so many people looking for excuses instead of answers?

Why do I see people that aren’t willing to put in the effort…the time…the investment…in order to be successful?

Here’s what I think: Because they don’t believe they’ll make it.

But you can.

When Opportunity Knocks

My mission in life has been to teach people how to be successful, so that I can not only build Kings and Queens, but so that I can help to build an unstoppable force capable of changing the world.

It’s time we take back our lives and start living again…that’s why I’m so passionate about this stuff, and that’s why Mike CJ and I created the Beyond Blogging Project.

That’s why we’ve decided to invest 6 months of our time, energy, and focus into creating a system that bloggers can use to take their business to the next level. I don’t make my money blogging…I make it by creating businesses. That’s what we want to teach there…we want to teach you how to pick up your dreams, dust them off, and put them back on the pedestal.

We want to create Kings and Queens…and I have no doubt that we are going to.

It Starts Friday

We start the Beyond Blogging Project on Friday, with or without you. We’re not looking to force anyone in or use powerful marketing techniques to trick you into joining. We think the project speaks for itself.

A team of experts…backed by a team of mentors…working closely with 50 bloggers in order to build powerful lifestyle businesses. It’s going to be awesome.

The good news is that we’ve still got a few slots left, and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about today.

If you’ve got any inkling at all that you have what it takes to quit your job and start living once more, then I think we have something for you.

If you have the desire to make a living doing what you love, then we’ve got something for you.

If you’re willing to walk the talk, then we’ve got something for you.

As it stands, you’ve got two options…

Continue to try and learn everything on your own…the hard way, or cut years off your learning curve by joining a community of experts and mentors…supported by 49 other people.

If you’d like to learn more, simply download this small PDF, read the details, and submit your application. Or, if you have questions, join us at 2PM EST for our free webinar.

It’s time we bring back our passion with belief…wouldn’t you say?

I believe Henry David Thoreau said it best when he said:

“The mass of men lead quiet lives of desperation.”

He couldn’t be closer to the truth.

The “B” Word is Missing – Let’s Bring it Back is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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This is the first submission for what I”ve decided to call “guest post Fridays,” which is my way of sharing the work of awesome bloggers without changing my current posting schedule.

If you’d like to submit a guest post to be considered, use the contact form above.

This guest post is written by James, The Infopreneur, who happens to be a writing machine and a very hard worker. Read his blog and then follow him on Twitter.

Question:

Who here has a job?

Regardless of whether part-time or full-time, I’m betting that most people reading this will have a job of some sort.

Now, who here wants to leave that job and make there living from the comfort of there own home via the Internet? Of those that said yes, how many of you can’t do that until you are actually earning enough to leave your job?

*raises hand*

I want to spend more time with my family instead of working a 60hr week on the road driving my truck. Most of us aren’t chasing the million dollar dream, we would be more than happy to replace our wages by working from home.

But, the majority of us chasing the dream are in a permanent catch 22. We can’t make enough money because we don’t have the time and we need to make money in order to have the time to make money, one big vicious cycle.

So how do I plan on breaking this pattern?

Building Phase

I am building my site while I am working, so essentially, I’m doing it on someone else’s dollar. It’s the best way to do it by far…you build a site, a community, and eventually a product list while you maintain full time employment.

This takes the risk out of it, but you still need to stay focused at work, as it’s your employer that is paying your bills. If you get in the mindset of wishing every minute that you can leave your full time job, then you become filled with negative vibes, which will come through in the work that you are doing to build a business. By all means, get that dream and realize it, but stay focused at your full time job until the day comes you can hand in your notice.

The last thing you want to do, especially if you have a family and mortgage is cash it all in before your business is producing income for you. Take your time and build the foundations to build a solid platform which you can pile bricks onto without fear of them falling over.

Sacrifice

I’ve talked about sacrifices before on my own blog…you need to make them simple!

Time watching TV, nights out partying, and even gym time all needs to be reduced to give you more time to work on your business model or site. How much time could you save in your daily routine if you tried?

In my case, I couldn’t squeeze any more time out the day but since I’m on the cusp of monetizing… I’m happy for the time being.

As I said, I work a 60hr week and probably work on average 4-6hrs a day on the site, so all in all I work around 100hrs a week between my full time job and the site.

That is a hell of a lot of hours, but it will be worth it and I can see results already.

Think about how much TV you want to watch, how much time you actually spend visiting websites and chat rooms, or how much time you spend playing FarmVille on Facebook.

If this is more than 5 minutes, have a serious word with yourself and get working on your goals and dreams. Think about it this way…sacrifices right now free up time later on.

If you have a dream, it isn’t going to be handed to you, know why? Because everyone else knows they have to chase it and they already have a head start on you…they left the starting blocks strong so you have to catch up now.

By all means read information that will help and motivate you, but if you read too much you will fall on your face well before the finish line.

Remember the Fire

Did you start your site a few weeks ago…or even a few months ago or longer?

Do you sometimes lose your way and not update the content for a while or not work on producing new products?

Remember back to the very first thought you had about your website or business. What made you want to start it…why did you have that compulsion to say “I’m going to do it?”

Go back to that initial feeling and keep that fire alive. Fire will drive you on as fast as your body can carry you, so keep in mind why you are doing it.

Listen guys…a website, business, or blogger falls by the way side everyday for whatever reason, just the other day a good friend of mine has decided to take a long break from it all.

Burnout is an issue, but I always say it’s only an issue if you aren’t 100% meant to be doing it, if you’re not passionate about it, or have too many things pulling you in different directions.

I have a stack of ideas, not just online ventures but patent ideas too. Do I do anything about them? Hell no, my site is my only business priority at the moment, how can I expect to make a success out of three websites if I haven’t done one yet.

This is my point…you need to focus on your objective and you absolutely need to put the hours in.

Do it on someone else’s buck, but make sure you do it, no lottery tickets are round the corner, no rich distant relatives you don’t know about, just you and your own drive will get you to the top.

I’m a complete dumb ass, the original dumb ass if you like. I have an IQ of 94 and no qualifications to talk about, but I am motivated and street wise…well, I know for a fact that hard work pays off.

As a final thought, think of it this way…you know those sponge quick shine things you can get for your shoes to make them look shiny and clean? Clean shoes in seconds, right?

So why would anyone use actual brushes and polish?

I’ll tell you why…because the polish nourishes the leather. It protects it and provides a deeper and longer lasting shine. Get your brushes out and start working, no such thing as a quick shine in real life.

Are you about to break the cycle?

If so, tell me…how are you doing it?

James Richmond is a hard working, ass kicking, ex-military blogger that writes about building online businesses. You can also find him on Twitter here.

Image Credit

Guest Post Friday: Being Smart, Sacrifice, and Avoiding Shortcuts is a post from: Nathan Hangen

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