Discipline, Action Plans and Schedules – A Must Have For Internet Marketers
IM Death Trap
The other day I got quite a shock – I discovered that I had actually fallen into one of the affiliate marketers death traps – once again! I am sure you can relate to what I am going to talk about – not having enough discipline to work on what is going to make you money, and instead letting yourself get sidetracked by everything else, like checking stats (my oh my, I do that a lot! – Especially since my Adsense earnings have gone quite crazy!), checking out all the new programs that are being offered in the overstuffed inbox, and all the while thinking I am doing something useful. Because I was occupied and spent lots of time on my computer!
Can you relate to that? This particular behaviour is actually quite common to many, many Internet Marketers. I mean, you do work from home (even if it’s at night time after your full day job and everything else that’s going on in your life), and it’s not like you “are going to work” for somebody else. You are working for yourself, and that quite often becomes a death trap, because even though the flexibility and working from home is what you ultimately want to achieve with Internet Marketing, when having the flexibility it can be quite hard to stick to a routine and actually get things done. That’s why it is so important to focus and work out a plan, schedule the tasks you want to achieve and discipline yourself to actually get through with it. I am just as guilty of not doing it as others!!!
Being Productive?
I just sat back today and suddenly thought – what am I actually DOING to make money at the moment; the last few weeks? Don’t I have great ideas on what my next steps are going to be? I am all fired up every day when I sit at the computer, ready to rock and roll, and a couple of hours later I realize that I have literally done nothing but surf. Not good if you want to build a business, I can tell you!
So, it is really important to discipline yourself if you are working from home in your own time. Here are some tips on what you can do to get back on track (no, should do):
- Work out the best days and times in the day for you to sit down and work undisctractedly. Write them in your calendar if you have to! And then stick to them, just as if you were going to a job somewhere. I mean, if you work for Woolworths from 8 to 4 then that’s when you are at work and do your work – you should treat your Internet Marketing just the same, like a job, and assign an appropritate time to it.
- Take the time to sit down and work out exactly what you want to achieve next (short term will do fine for starters) – like building a blog about Jack Russell Terriers 🙂 -, and WRITE IT DOWN. Not just on scrap paper, make an effort to make it look nice.
- Write down the steps of action you have to take to achieve that goal. Assign numbers to the steps, in the order you need to do them.
- Give yourself a kick in the butt and discipline yourself (Ouch, I just did!)! Meaning – start using the lists you have just created, on the days and times you have assigned for your Internet work. Follow your own plans step by step. Stop being hitchhiked by other things. It is easy for the mind to wonder off if you haven’t got a structured plan laid out, but now you should have one so NO EXCUSES ANY MORE! Have the plan in front of you at all times. Stick it to the wall if you have to!
- I am just going to say it once again, because this is so important: Do actually write everything down on a piece of paper. Write it down. And then write it down. Oh, did I tell you to write it down??? Having your goal(s) and action steps on a piece of paper makes them much more tangible and will seriously help to “untangle” your mind and streamline your behaviour.
Hopefully you can find some useful advice for yourself in this post. I had the urge to write it because I discovered that I had slipped back into my old bad behaviour of spending hours in front of the computer, having all these great ideas in my head but because there was no structure, no “real” plan, nothing written down to guide me along, I never started with anything and just went “surfing”. Death, really, it is. Nothing is going to happen if you don’t make it happen. I was just so angry with myself that I had to get this off my chest. So please try not to fall into the same pit. Make me happy. 🙂
Category: Info Overload and Productivity, Uncategorized
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- Alex Jeffreys – A Guy You Should Have Heard Of – Petra-Weiss.com | July 12, 2009
You are absolutely right. I’m too a Seo analyst and i know all type of these things. If someone want to grow in internet marketing field He/She has to focus on Discipline, Action Plans and Schedules..
Hey Petra
Nice post by the way and nice blog.
Hi its Marcus Passey you left a really nice post on my blog very grateful for that.
I did not realise you were on Alex’s course to! well good luck and I shall see you on the inside.
speak soon
cheers
marcus
.-= marcus passey´s last blog ..Marketing With Alex Coaching Course 2.0-Almost Live! =-.
Hi Petra,
Love the post, so true and i have fallen into that trap too, MANY TIMES!
Hence why I have made the commitment on Alex Jeffrey’s course as you have (got your link from Marcus’s blog!).
Hope to be in touch again soon and see you on the inside!
Cheers
Sean
Hi Sean, nice to meet you! Yes, you will be seeing me on the inside! 🙂
Hello Petra,
Gary here – the OTHER Gary. I went to Las Vegas with the Alex Jeffreys crew last month.
Hmm, I can just tell you are a writer.
Regarding your “organisation” problems above… I think you would do well to get my ACTION Planner. It’s over at my blog if you want it.
Hope to see you around.
Regards
Gary Simpson
.-= Gary Simpson´s last blog ..Michael Jackson – And What YOU Have in Common With HIM! =-.
Hi Gary,
thanks for the “action planner”, will go and get it! What do you mean when you say “you are a writer”… ?? To be honest, writing is something that comes only REALLY hard to me, it’s not something natural, and it takes me a lot of time. It might sound ok once it’s on paper, but believe me, in everything I write there is a lot of sweat and time involved. But – I might just take your comment as a compliment! 😉
Hi Petra,
Just listening to the 1st Alex Jeffreys seminar (again). You can read my notes on it from the first time by scrolling through the Post Map on my blog if you want.
I say you are a writer because I can see the way you structure your thoughts and set everything out. You do it very well.
Hmm, just read your “About” page. Since English is your 2nd language then I am even more impressed. If I attempted to write anything in your native language it would look like baby scribble – LOL! I note also that you live in Perth. So do I.
Hope you like that ACTION Planner and that you can use it to your advantage.
Regards
Gary Simpson
.-= Gary Simpson´s last blog ..Michael Jackson – And What YOU Have in Common With HIM! =-.
Hi Petra! First of all thanks for this wonderful article. You have nicely described whole things. I like your first tips, it is really good to know. Your article is truly informative.
The picture is very cute, BTW thanks your blog is awesome keep up the good works.
.-= lanie@canadian term life insurance´s last blog ..Ontario Mortgage Life Insurance – Compare and Save Today. =-.
Hello Petra
I really appreciate the information which you have provided. Before start the work we should know our aim means we should know what to do? And according to that aim we should make all the steps which will work for our goal. Paper work is also very important. Its a written copy what will we do and it also keeps the record.
Thank you and regards
Sandeep
Hi Petra
First off what a great Blog I really love your pictures!!
I totally dig what your saying there are too many distractions online. I used to spend my days just checking my inbox looking for the next “get rich quick scheme”. I had the attention span of a gold fish. I have learned you have to instil self discipline before you can even think about success!!
Take Care
Graeme
Yes i am totally agree with you. You have to be disciplined make a schedule and action plan.Just by making it will not help you. You have to follow it religiously. And yes you have to think that you are working in an office so that you can give the time required for the work or else you can not get it done on time.
Yeah, that’s true. Internet marketing has many think to do like link building, posting an article and so on. Hard working and discipline is a must to success. Of course focus for our goal.
.-= Ruri@Free article directory´s last blog ..Littleton Realtors and Littleton Real Estate Growth =-.
This is exactly what I have been looking for. Some advice from a person who has had the same problem as me. My husband is a work horse and writes all of his goals down. He works a 9 to 5 job then comes home to work on the computer sometimes until 3 in the morning.
Me, I am distracted by getting the little one to school and taking care of the 1 year old only to find out it is 3 in the afternoon and I haven’t done as much online as I should have. I am going to take your tips and get the schedule in front of me tonight. I wrote it down but haven’t printed it out. Like you said “No more excuses”. I don’t ever want to go back to work for a company and then have someone else raise my children.
@Heather, I feel with you, and I urge you on to really do it and stick with it! If you find it hard to write things down in order, start just by writing down what comes to your mind what you have to do. You can structure it later (or in the progress). Great that you want to be there for your kids!
The key to any successful home business is discipline. You also need strong time management skills so you can focus on what is important.
.-= Gena George@ Norelco Electric Razors´s last blog ..Ladies Electric Shaver =-.
The best way to make sure you have the discipline to do the work you need to do is to do work you want to do. If you find yourself wandering it’s because you are not enjoying your work. Time to step back and reevaluate your goals. When you are working for yourself you have a unique opportunity to work on what you like yet so many people choose not to. It makes little sense. The best thing you can do when you stall is get up and get away for awhile then come back. Better to have 2 hours of productivity than 5 hours of grinding it out with little interest.
.-= Conversion Vans´s last blog ..Conversion Van | Ford Van | Chevy Van | Used Vans | Sprinter Van | Custom Vans | Camper Van | Class B =-.
@conversion vans, there is something wrong with your url, just thought I’ll let you know.
@conversion vans – thumbs up for your comment.
The first and foremost thing is discipline. If you have sheduled do something everyday then make sure to do it everyday.If you default by even a single day then that will be a problem in the future.
Oh how I can relate. You look back on the evening and wonder what you did that is productive and adds to the bottom line and help bring in the money. I especially like what you have in steps 2 & 3 for breaking down a short term goal into simple steps, writing them down and then like Nike says, just do it! I seem to really need the kick in the butt sometimes too…
Thanks for being real and then providing a solution!!!
Be Blessed!!!
.-= Dale Hinton´s last blog ..Attention Team Beachbody Coaches – Leadology Will Help You Build A Massive Downline =-.
I write small posters with simple tasks and put them on my day kalender (hangning on the wall). When one task is done, I throw the corresponding poster away. In this way you make it visible, that you actually have made something today – and you don´t forget all the good ideas 🙂
Per, thanks so much for your valuable input, that’s a great idea. Especially because you can see that you have achieved something on the day.
The very reason I don’t work at home is because I have very little self discipline however hard I try.
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Its so easy to get caught doing things that feel productive but don’t help you that much. Like checking stats or spending forever checking emails.
Yep that’s one thing you need – self discipline. I am constantly fighting to keep mine… 😉
Hi Petra – Well, since it’s 1:30 am and I haven’t written one thing on my blog tonight I guess this is advice I need to follow! I just learned about internet marketing two weeks or so ago and have been obsessed since – and my “real job” and blog can really take all of time and more. Self-discipline huh? – yup I need that!
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