If you are stressed out or hate your job, is internet marketing right for you?
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I hear a lot of people in the IM space say they want to live a laptop lifestyle, but I find that IM is more difficult than my job.
With IM you are responsible for motivating one self. Setting and sticking to your own schedule. Creating the products that your business will sell, and driving traffic to that business. And all of this is in addition to our jobs.
If you have a lot of stress at work, will becoming the boss of your own venture lessen that stress?
Or is our stress self induced? And by controlling our business model and the way we work that business help us reduce our stressors.
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There’s a myth that has been circulating around the Internet almost since its inception that an online business is somehow easier than one that is offline.
Like most myths, there’s a kernel of truth in it.
Online businesses are cheaper to set up.
They can be built and managed from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a connection.
You don’t need premises or stock or even people.
Your premises are wherever you happen to be sitting; the stock is either in your head, as is the case with information products, or held by someone else (think Amazon), and you can outsource much of the work you do virtually (e.g. Four-Hour WorkWeek).
All that is true.
The false part is that this is easy to do.
It’s not.
It may be the hardest thing you ever do in your life; but if you can make it work, it will probably also be one of the most rewarding.
That’s because the path between your efforts and your results is short.
When you’re working for someone else, you can feel that you’re putting in a disproportionate amount of effort for the reward you get.
In other words, you have to work jolly hard for precious little.
In truth, the laptop-lifestyle means that you can work for almost anywhere in the world; but the operative word is work.
And the thing is that all you see when people talk about their lifestyle is where they are now. You don’t hear about the multitude of hours, the sleepless nights, or what the raw determination they needed to succeed looked like.
There will also be a group of people out there who are lying to you.
They haven’t made it; but they’re good at computer graphics.
The picture they paint of a life of luxury is false.
If you buy their products, all you’ll do is help them to realize their version of the laptop-lifestyle; but you’ll never experience it by doing what they do.
Here’s the bottom line: Listen to Sean, and then do what he says. And keep on doing it for as long as it takes.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Hi Malik,
I cannot answer the psychology of this and I know others in here have the skills and knowledge to do that. What I can answer from my own personal experience so I hope this helps.Working through the hard Slog
Yes IM is hard, and to make it easier you need to find something that you truly enjoy. Yes I know that been said, but it truly heaps I can give you an example from my life. Previously I worked as a web designer for over 20 years and have done pretty well. I make enough of an income to looked after myself and my family and to allowed us to travel and have a good level of freedom.
Then I started to get burnt out and a couple of years ago I decided to go into IM niche, I created some products and did ok but I was very stressed about making the right product etc. Yes, that’s one of my personality traits I like it right (see all the variables) and will not accept anything less (so I didn’t create as much as I could have done) this create a lot of stress and financial problems and I didn’t find my voice so I didn’t find my audience. I simply didn’t find satisfaction in what I was doing and couldn’t motivate myself to keep going. I think this is the issue many people have. I realized the things I love where design, problem solving and fixing up things.Do You become less stressed?
Yes and No. I think you become different stressed you love the process/product and the frustration is just part of it, but you are now doing something you enjoy. You tend to not focus on the negative as much and get more done. When I changed my business I found that I changed and so did my attitude and I was happy to put in the extra work needed.
In my case I took the things I loved and found a new way to help the people I wasn’t reaching before. I am now creating a new business renovating website, this means I use my skills to help the audience I like working with and give more.. less stress better results.. win win for both parties.Controlling the business model
I think you definitely have to know you goals; what you want to do, why you want to do it, what financial goals do you need now and if the future. Without this you tend to create your unmeasurable expectation and create more stress for yourself. For example if you are working full time and you can go without monetary gain for a little while focus on building a strong list of people you connect with, but you should know how, what and when you are going to go for the money otherwise you are just working towards nothing.
<No more stress than any business
I think is the same as being in any business, the difference is it is easier to be in ‘business’ online and if you don’t treat it the same as you would a normal business than the stress, lack of motivation and overwhelm definitely will win. Don’t think of it as something extra (unless that’s what you want) treat it the same as if you decided to open a brick and mortar business and spent thousand of dollars to start it.
Okay that’s my thoughts on this subject 🙂 I hope that helps a littleAll things Digital
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Do What You Love
There is this old saying, “Do what you love for a living and you will never work another day in your life.”
I know a woman that works hard all day at her job and then comes home and works harder caring for her horses.
Ask her if she works hard and she will tell you all about the problems at work and how hard it is to please everyone and all about the deadlines, but she won’t mention horses and work in the same sentence.
I know these guys that set up a shooting range in the county, have a zip cord line over a creek, built a lean to for cooking out and meeting under, made a dirt bike and four wheeler track all on an old farm in the county. They cut down trees, hauled bales of hay, shoveled dirt, swung a hammer and did what I would call a lot of work.
They call it fun and can’t wait to do it again.
Most people don’t really know what they want. My daughter thought she wanted to be a half dozen things as she grew up. Then she was nearly killed by a drunk driver and flew in a helicopter to a trauma center, had life saving surgery, plastic surgery and in time came out almost as good as new. One day she said, “I want to be a part of that. I want to help people that are suffering.” She is a clinical coordinator for a medical company now and may do cpr, call an ambulance and load a patient, x-ray and put a temporary cast on a broke leg, give a child struggling to breath a breathing treatment and bring someone out of a diabetic coma all in the same week. She can’t get enough. She keeps applying for jobs with more responsibility in her company. She doesn’t call it work, she calls it exciting.
If you have a way to make a living while building your business you eliminate money worries and financial stress.
The old saying, “Don’t quit your day job” is good advice.If you are doing what you want to do, then it isn’t hard work no matter how much effort it takes, it is exciting.
Yes, there are times you will need discipline, but how much discipline do you have to have to do things that are fun to you?
I see people go into business and instead of making a business they manage, they just make themselves another job.
Michael Gerber and his e-myth series covers the downfalls, traps and disappointments people going into their own business commonly struggle with and how to overcome them. I highly recommend his e-myth series of books and programs.
best,
Scott Hogue CChH
Follow me in the "Use What You Learn Challenge" as I create a website using what I learn from Sean that is a Platform for my niche:
http://www.threestepstowealth.comThe thread on this group that explains it:
http://preneurpal.com/forums/topic/own-the-game-and-win-it/#post-17471 user thanked author for this post.
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I’ve always been of the mindset that stress is self-imposed. Some may disagree.
If you’re not comfortable with your daily nine-to-five, you may find that anything, whether that’s internet marketing or any other pursuit, would be a welcome change.
It reminds me of the aphorism, “The grass is always greener. . .” For example, I enjoy teaching. Are there days I would like to do something else? Absolutely.
My point is don’t just jump into another pursuit full-bore unless you know for sure it’s tour true calling. Do I want to be a full-time internet marketer? Yes. Do I want to give up my day job to make it happen? Maybe not just yet.
Bottom line. . .just do what’s right for you when you know it’s right.
Trust me, you’ll know.
Next year will probably be my farewell tour in the classroom. It’s been a great ride, but I know it’s time. I want to devote all my time to internet marketing.
Unlock the key to earning thousands per day. Leads, sales, and profits await. Click here.
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One of the best ways I know of to find your “true calling” is to ask yourself what you keep coming back to.
You may have to live for a little while to discover this, but it’s what I noticed about me: I kept coming back to the writing.
I used to think it was research, and that’s still fun; but it’s the breaking down of a complex subject and then presenting it to people in a way that they can understand and use where the satisfaction really lies.
If you don’t feel a pull towards something in particular, then I have an exercise I can give you.
Just send me a private message, and I’ll tell you what it is.
The reason for the PM is not that it’s a secret. Instead, it’s because in order for it to work, you have to do one step at a time. If you know what all of the steps are in advance, then you won’t do them correctly.
And there may be others in this forum who will benefit from it in the future.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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I agree with both Malik and Bob . . .
IM is not a laptop lifestyle when in the building phase (although once something is built you may be able to take 3-6 months mostly off until it’s time to build again).
For example, for much of this year I’ve worked in the 10-20 hours a week range.
Launching this site though has pushed that to 40+
Once everything is running smoothly and attention is focused on bringing new clients in as opposed to building it out, I likely go back to 20ish hours a week . .
And Bob mentions that stress is a mindset – and I agree.
Just because IM is hard work doesn’t mean it has to be stressful . . .
You can work hard and have fun too (I do)
Sean
Do you want to learn how to start a coaching program that stabilizes your income and changes lives? If so, visit http://www.AnyoneCanCoach.com
Sean
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