Check out these genuine comments you sent….
The question I asked was:
What are the main challenges you face building your online business? Eg: Product creation, list building.
You said….
‘Staying focused…’
‘Confidence good solid training list building someone to trust’
‘FOCUS is the main one, I have many projects that are giving me some scarce results’
‘Have trouble focusing on one thing. Tend to over complicate things’
‘Mostly lack of focus and continuity. I have started things, don´t see results and stop’
‘Confidence and Focus’
‘NO focus at all..’
‘Motivation to work through when things get difficult and monotonous, rather than jumping onto another new project’
‘Find it hard to concentrate, maybe a good kick up the arse might help!”
(Love the last comment – sounds like me!)
They’re all from the survey I asked you to fill in (thanks) some weeks back
They’re obviously all anonymous so I don’t know who said what, BUT aren’t they interesting?
Obviously there were a lot of people who said they struggled with the technical side of IM too – things like creating a website, installing a blog, setting up a followup message in Aweber, making a squeeze page etc
But I was pretty stunned to see what a high percentage had problems remaining focused on their online businesses.
When I’m working with my one on one clients I regularly get someone saying ‘Ok Tony THIS is the point where I would have abandonded the project to buy the next latest shiny product!’
It’s usually when things start getting a bit challenging or they come across something they’ve never done before.
I keep them on track and invariably we see the project through to the other side.
But if they’d stopped when the going got tough, those mental and financial rewards, not to mention the ongoing security of an internet business would have vanished.
Look every time you spend a day or a week or longer working on something then just abandon it to go buy the next big launchey thingy, you’re throwing away WEEKS of your life.
I can’t believe the number of people who say to me
‘I started a passive income / niche / blog / whatever site but it only brought in $20 a month so I moved on to something else’
What??!!
Give it to me then you silly git!
When a fire’s burning – a tiny little fire – it’s simple for any eeeejit to come alng and put more wood on to make it bigger right?
The hard part is spending an hour sweating, hunched over a piece of wood, rubbing sticks together to create it in the first place.
I still maintain that making your first $100 online is MUCH harder than increasing it to $10,000.
It’s the basic conception – the creation – that hurts like trapping your private parts in a zipper.
Which is why most people abandon it.
Going back to our $20 a month site.
I said ‘Give it to me’ because I know that if something works, no matter how small the scale, I can increase it.
I just stick at stuff until it works.
I don’t knacker myself out every day spending 10 hours trying to move projects forward like some marketers.
That’s REALLY stupid, and the best way to lose interest. If Angelina Jolie cleaned my house naked every day I’d probably get used to it in, say a decade or two.
You can overkill things y’know.
You need motivation.
Once way of doing this is to get an accountability partner. Now being English and northern I get a bit nervous around stuff like this. I still think therapy is eight pints of beer and a fight for the last taxi at the end of the night.
But I work with several business partners and accountability works.
It’s very basic but deadly effective and goes something like this:
Me: I’ll write up that copy and get it over to you for noon tomorrow at the latest.
Them: (the next day) Did you write the copy for me Tone?
Me: Errr I didn’t actually. I seemed to have a lot to do and it got pushed to one side.
Them: Well get it done now you useless tit because you’re holding the whole project up. How anyone can run a business on those lines I’ll never know.
So duly embarassed I drop everything and write the copy like I was supposed to.
And of course if THEY then don’t come up with something in the near future I can yell at them back.
Eventually we both do things on time because we don’t want to look silly.
If you can get yourself an accountability partner I’d do so because it works.
Likewise if you can make your first project a partnership then I’d highly recommend it. You can support each other, motivate each other and threaten each other if someone isn’t pulling their weight.
And it seems like this is a bigger issue in IM than I thought for newcomers, even based on the small survey I did.
So what can we do about it?
Well I dunno really.
If you’d like a dedicated thread on my blog where you can make yourself publicly accountable to other readers (and me), would that float your boat?
It’s just an idea but if you’re into it, leave your comments below and I’ll set it up.
You (and me) can post on it saying stuff like ‘by next Monday I’ll have finished my sales page and I’ll post the URL here for feedback / critiques.
It’s just a thought anyhow. If feel like you’d benefit from some Hippy Marketing Tribe support then post your comments below and we’ll see what happens.
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Great idea Tony, ain’t that the truth. When you have a JOB, the man is hanging over you. I’ve tried imagining some of my worst bosses, the tyrants, demanding more work, but it usually fails. I usually find I give in to the will of my better half (non-tyrant) who would totally understand – probably – if I said I can’t, I’ve just got to get this thing done, but then it’s easier to go shopping or fix something instead. Squeaky wheel, or something.
Alan
OK – I don’t mind taking Angelina Jolie for half the time Tony 🙂
As for telling people what I’ll get done by when… Sod Off – That would mean actually having to get it done!!!
lol
On a serious note – I do find I get more done when I’m in partnership with others – purely for all the reasons you mentioned!
I guess letting yourself down is never a problem for some (myself included), But letting someone else down just goes against how I was brought up… Is that bred into us or what?.. I could curse my parents if so!
That said – I still hate being accountable openly, in case I just fancy nipping out for a half hour that turns into a 4 hour lunch…lol
So I’m here to agree and recommend everyone else posts their accountability status, But I doubt I’ll join in…hehe
Randy
P.S. Can I use the excuse of being too busy on projects and seeing them through to completion – to spend time writing and saying what and by when ?? 😉
I’m up to have it [gently] kicked . . . and also to dish it out LOL
It’s a pretty good idea. I’m a coach, and I know how newbies need help. But what is even more amazing is that online business also need help (may be even more) than newbies to stay motivated and move things forward. Some of my clients are very successful people (online and offline), I mean they earn more than $5000 per month online, and hire me to exchange ideas, get feedback and stay motivated. Plus real entrepreneurs have a hard time to stay focused one one thing. They get bored super super fast.
Franck
Sign me up now! 🙂
I am getting better, but working alone can be very de-motivating(?), I know that given a deadline usually works, even if it is a mad rush at the last minute.
Regards to all,
TonyB
Looking good.
I’m going to get involved with this too if it happens, putting myself out for a butt kicking if I don’t hit my targets
Tony
“Great mind think alike” or is it “Dumb seldom differ” whatever.
When asked what I do, by friends and family, I still have difficulty explaining that I dont “work” I just make money. The second question is invairiably “how”. After a few minutes of Affiliate Marketing, PPC, Adsense, etc…… I get the glazed look, I am sure you all know that look!
So the wish over recent months has been the desire to share a conversation, chat, call, project, pint coffee, with somebody you don’t have to explain every second buzz word or acronym too. Somebody to share the trials and tribulations with, and perhaps to partner with.
Eureka! We should start a Dating Site for IM peeps!.
Honest answer there Randy.
I know what you mean about being publicly accountable.
I also know what you mean about lunch turning into a three day holiday 🙂
Maybe it’s a Darwinian thing where the people who CAN’T motivate themselves are naturally the people who end up leaving internet marketing.
..or maybe like me, you just find different strategies for managing your own personality.
Like I’ve said countless times, I can’t ‘do’ long-term projects because I lose interest.
Tony
Frank – your comment that entrepreneurs get bored super-fast.
Hit the nail right on the head there. I know successful people exactly like this
Tony
Tony B – there’s a law somewhere says that work expands to fill the time alloted for it
ooooooh yes!
Tony
David H – If you think I want my blog to have an IM dating site, which could potentially result in the birth of all manner of testing freaks, anal retentive article writers and people who do nothing all day except reading forum posts…
*shudder*
Thanks for posting mate 🙂
Tony
Great idea!
Think it’s probably better to set realistic short-term goals rather than long-term goals because I agree its easier to get bored and lose interest with the longer term projects.
I suggest people offer a forfeit if they DON’T achieve their stated goal. Not sure how this can be actioned but it’s an idea to throw into the pot.
Accountability also fosters a sense of community on your blog which is a win-win for all of us.
Garry.
I agree Garry, acountability is all about community.
Sort of like ‘communal bugging’
Like it
T
hiya
yep im in
look at my blog no updates !!!!!!
because i been busy trying to earn money in other things.
What is better than just accountability is a small group of 3 networking as part of a bigger group
so those three can then set to producing a product/sales funnel and market it
or we cna market each others if we know how to best do it
anyway yep i am defo up for it
cheers
It’s a good idea, a special place for people to get friendly pushes to get things done, or a kick in the butt if required. Not sure how you’d manage the whole thing, guess it would have to be done like a forum. I’m game, count me in, I could use some feedback/therapy/positive reinforcement.
Yep…I’ts a brilliant idea… bring it on Tony because I need a good kicking myself today lol.. I still haven’t finished my website yet!..
Regards
Julia
This is a great idea. I have a website that needs a lot of work, and I haven’t got around to doing this ,and haven’t got around to doing that ! I have allowed too many other things to distract me.
1. Parkinsons Law refers to public servants making their tasks fill up the time allotted to them (and usually a lot more).
As a member of several committees in times past, I found those most successful were the ones where each committee member was allotted tasks and had to report back to other members when those tasks were completed. This was especially important when a project depended on some tasks being completed before others could be started.
So, accountability is vital to accomplish many tasks and I think most of us are guilty of wasting time that should be used constructively.
The late W. Clement Stone gave his employees a Social Time Recorder to record all their activities throughout the day. He said that the most potent tool you can have in the pursuit of success is a written record of your daily habits.
Self-Inspection Makes One Conscious of Self-Improvement.
If one has accountability to another as well as oneself, it makes the task easier knowing that one must also account to another person who will righteously and rightfully encourage and, if necessary, reprimand the one who has set himself up to be accountable.
I work with a group of business people who get sidetracked by many other issues. I prepare action lists for each one and those people are individually accountable to me to get their tasks done. I hound them if they are running overtime. So far it has worked without any bloodshed or loss of friendship.
But, just as I hound them, I too need to be hounded at times so this is a very good proposal Tony. Bring it on!
Weeeelllll :o)
I think that it’s a pretty shite hot idea myself! But how do you plan to do it Tony??
Do we all just write comments under a blog post ??
…or are we going to get your super brained friend and colleague Mr Newton to throw
together a nice piece of WordPress widgitness and have a neat little plug in that acts like a
mini Warrior forum – so we can all hurl polite abuse at each other and not get banned for
breaking the (BB) code of etiquette ?? :o)
p.s… I hope that you didn’t dislike Lee’s ‘not so little’ Internet Automation plan vid that
much! lol …
He’s been teaching me to make vids like that for the last 10 months so the net wil be
thriving with the little beasties when I get my ass kicked by you guys for not geting them
done in time!! …he he :o)
The idea of accountability certainly gets the thumbs up from me anyway … even though
the last time I drunk eight pints and squabbled over a taxi was well before I discovered
the joys of sitting in front of a Macbook pro for 12 hours at a time as an evening’s
entertainment!!
Ohhh the joys of modern technology ehh??
Well I guess it’s watch this space… but I’ll be intrigued to see what you come up with :o)
cheers matey
xxxxcarlxxxx
I’m not too sure how it’ll work either from a technical point of view but we take the bumble bee attitude towards flight here.
Let’s see what we can cobble together.
And as for free speech and getting banned for breach of etiquette.
Nah – not on this blog!
Tony
Nice one Tony … That’s what I like to hear ..
so on that note I’m going to f@º•¶§§∞g bed!! 🙂
p.s… I did just complete the presentation for my coming WSO upsell.
Just got to do the Camtasia bit now (and try not to bumble (bee) my words!
T’will be done by the weekend I promise .. or the next eight pints AND the TAXI are on me!!
have fun
xxxxcarlxxxx
tony of course just do
Count me in. My arse is made of solid Sheffield steel, so it’s ready for all manner of kickings!!
Cheers,
Ray
Hi Tony,
I seem to recall some years back you ran a forum, cannot remember the name now. I met a fellow countryman who has gone on from there to great heights. I’m still working at it so some help of some kind would be good.
Hi Tony,
Like the rest of us here I’m INNNNNNN!! I will admit that I’m getting much better at managing my time now. I think having a community of like minded people who help each other can only be a good thing.
Mike.
Hi everyone, my name is Kathy and I am a shiny object addict.
I’m definitely in! Like ‘Earn with John’, who has no blog updates, I haven’t even made my blog live yet! And this was supposed to happen at the beginning of January. I need a not so gentle kick at times.
You have a terrific idea here, Tony – for all the reasons everyone has listed. For me, having a group to be accountable to and to compare notes with, would be extremely worthwhile. When do we start?
I’m in!!
Need to stop floundering, and start DOING!
An absolutely essential for me.
I belonged to a Mastermind Group where we
did this for each other and productivity
went through the roof.
Most of the members were from USA and the
group quietly died as one by one people
stopped turning up for our weekly 10 min
slot.
Definitely interested as I find it far too
easy to find something else to do than the
real job in hand.
Count me in.
Room for one more? I try to keep on track by setting myself a to-do list, but unfortunately it rarely gets completed. Part of the reason is that I’m still learning things and they’re taking far longer than I originally estimated. But I’m sure that’s only part of the reason….