Working online, how often have you found yourself validating the demands of your other responsibilities such as family, friends and work that compete for your time and attention? Or thinking “If only I made as much time and money as he did, I would be able to continue with this and my life would be much better”? Especially when the stress and pressure of your online business start weighing heavy on your mind, and you start looking for excuses to quit or blame on for your lack of results?
It is oft-said that if you strive for something out of passion and love, you will achieve momentous results eventually. You will also fall by the wayside when you encounter obstacles, if you work primarily for the money and profit. However, there is no doubting that there are just as many who really love what they do, but if the monetary gains are not showing, it could be extremely discouraging and persistence can be hard to come by when the chips are down.
So how can you overcome the little voices in your head that scheme to bring a halt to your efforts? It is very much having the mental strength and practising little techniques to mold such a mindset. By doing so, you can cultivate the persistance and belief required to bring you over the little bumps, providing a consistent impetus for you to soldier on.
1. Remember that you have a choice, made the choice, and really have control
Too many people blame their everyday predicaments on everything except themselves. What they do not realise is that they have been given choices, and decided on the paths to embark on. If you can come to terms with that, then you will also understand that you have just as much control to improve on or change these situations, as well as any problems that they pose.
The decision to work online is yours, and be aware that it entails hard work. If the effort pushes you near the edge, remember why you did it in the first place. The reasons might be good enough for you to persevere.
2. Enjoy the process, no matter how painful it can get
Ok, it starts getting a little masochistic from here. However, nobody ever said becoming good at something would be easy. It requires concentrated and sustained effort, and this often presents a strain on many people’s mental, physical and tangible resources. Just as well Donald Trump said “If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth doing.” Use that to your advantage - find joy in the process, what you are doing each day to attain that goal of yours.
For example, it can be a strain on your personal schedule having to put in time everyday for your online endeavours, such as writing new content, building your social network, and keeping abreast of current affairs within your niche. In fact, I know many people who spend more time working online than if they had a 9 to 5 job. But they overcome the demanding schedule by viewing writing content as sharing, building networks as meeting new friends or ‘catching up’ with old ones, and staying updated as finding out new juicy gossip fodder.
Sometimes the pain can be so bad, it actually feels good. :)
3. No Pain, No Gain
Find joy in the process. But there will also be times when even that would be hard to do. When that happens, you just have to ‘tough it out’.
Alex Ferguson, the notorious manager of Manchester United, would often subject his players to the toughest training and mental treatment in order to find out more of their character. The ones who prospered under his notorious hairspray verbal volleys would often be the players who outlasted it and plain ’stuck it through’ during the difficult times. Back in the days when I desired to get into my college soccer team, I hated the torturous trainings under a burning afternoon sun. But I put my foot down and with a little youthful obstinance and endurance, went through the punishing physical workouts to achieve my goal.
4. Self-discipline
You are what you eat. You also become what you think and do.
Instead of finding excuses to discredit what you are trying to achieve, why not use the mental energy to instill more self discipline? Keep to your schedule, put more thought and effort into your time and task management, and train your mind and body to meet these targets. When you constantly challenge yourself rather than allowing your mind to wander into the negative realm of a defeatist attitude, it keeps you on your toes. The additional demands would shape you up, gearing yourself for future success.
If you love what you do, you have to find ways to build that love through difficult times. Most relationships are never always smooth, and these 4 mindsets can help you make it through those stormy periods when you just feel like giving it all up. Use them to manage the pressure and demands that you will encounter during your online journey and allow your love to shine through in the end, conquering all!
13 Responses
Joanne
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:33 pm
1So what you’re really saying is that loving dedication conquers all, right? ;)
Nice points to remember for any endeavor.
Chris Jacobson
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:58 pm
2Nice post YC. You’re right on with that one!
YC
October 4th, 2007 at 2:08 am
3@ Joanne - With love, comes dedication! Well, for the most part. ;)
@ Chris - You mean about being masochistic? :)
ZHereford
October 4th, 2007 at 3:19 am
4YC this was a timely article for me and the kick in the pants I need!
Heather Masson
October 4th, 2007 at 3:50 am
5Another great post YC.
If you love what you’re doing, all the hard work is worth it. I don’t even really think of it as work… it just what I like to do :) I recently had to take that bit of time away, and couldn’t even stay away as long as intended because I missed being online and all that involves. It’s about the journey!
CHESSNOID
October 4th, 2007 at 4:23 am
6YC, great post. It always great to be able to relate with others who are going through the same thing. You are definitely on the right track for great success!
Monika @ The Writers Manifesto
October 4th, 2007 at 4:39 am
7YC,
I so agree with you on this. For me this love transcends into passion and that’s what keeps me going every day. Getting up early in the morning has become fun now instead of a drag. :-)
Monika
Dana Wallert
October 4th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
8“4. Self-discipline” so that’s what I’m missing ;)
Great post again YC. I don’t know how people can keep going with the blogging, the networking, etc. if they don’t absolutely love it! There are a lot of the day to day things that aren’t my favorite, but my overall obsession with writing and the community make up for those.
Alex R.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:18 am
9If you want something bad enough you’ll conquer it with any means necessary. So far what I’ve read is great. I really enjoy the articles your producing, keep it up!
Friday List of Favorites… | Home With Heather
October 5th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
10[…] Love Conquers All - Internet Marketing Mind - Another excellent article by YC on how to get through the hard times. It’s all about loving what you do, doing it with a passion, and enjoying the process. […]
Jar Full of Links: October 5, 2007
October 5th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
11[…] is shouting from the roof tops “Love Conquers All!“, when it comes to your blogs […]
David
October 5th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
12I keep praying to myself that once PR updates, my traffic worries are over.. or not..
YC
October 6th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
13@ ZHereford - Well, no kick but I sure hope it gave you a boost for the day and time ahead!
@ Heather - Tell me about it - I am enjoying this journey so much that I can see so much difference in attitudes between now and when I was in a j.o.b.!
@ Chessnoid - Not sure if I am on the right track - but I am always looking to stay on the path ;)
@ Monika - You hit the nail on the head! I don’t even want to go to bed much nowadays! Lol!
@ Dana - You definitely have self-discipline - just look at the stumble count ;)
@ Alex - Thanks again! For sure if you work towards something you want badly, you can achieve it. Nowadays the culture being instilled though is too conservative methinks.
@ David - I am still torn over whether to worry too much about PR or not. On the one hand it’s so important in terms of future monetisation, but on the other hand I do not want to harvest links just for that. Good luck to you tho’!
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