How do YOU get yourself out of a rut? As far as working/MOtivation AND Internet Marketing goes??

[nevillealston]

I've been stuck in a really lazy rut lately and I am hating it oh so much!!

Please help me!!??

My question is, how do YOU guys get yourself out of this rut and into "work" mode, as far as Internet Marketing goes?

Its like lately I don't even feel like writing a bloody article or even doing some Yahoo! Answers(which I can swear was working so great for me also)....

I mean, the other day 2 sales came in and then I was so darn excited about it ya know, but then at the end of the day I still ended up doing noting!

I was so excited thinking about how great I had done to end up at those 2 sales that day and then the umph to just go out there and do it all over again just failed me!

I mean, it's really gotten bad lately especially!

It's like if I don't work now , I'm screwed!

SO basically, all I am asking is how do you guys keep it up?

-Vision boards?
-To do lists?
-Or any type of new strategy that has been working for you PLEASE share!!!???

Thank you guys in advance for any ideas and brain storming(or just a kick in the butt) that you guys can assist with!


Neville

[tommen]

I have made a "marketing schedule" for every day.I work from Monday to Friday and keep the weekends off.Write down every marketing task you have and divide them equally for every day.

[javanz07]

Hey Neville,

I can relate man... for the longest time I was in such a rut.

For me, there was actually a deeper issue there. And it sounds like it's the same for you.

After a lot of struggling (with myself) and help from a lot of books, I realised my core issue was that I was actually afraid of failing. Like you, I was experiencing some success and somehow, ironically, that made me stopped working further towards more success.

It's because I was afraid that the modicum of success I had was short-lived or just pure luck, and that I won't be able to achieve more success. This stems from the fact that entrepreneurship was completely something new for me (and my family).

I have so been used to relative successes in past careers (they were safe govt or govt-related careers) that I was afraid of not being able to achieve the same level of success as an entrepreneur.

So, sub-consciously I was giving myself an excuse to fail. It was like, "Oh well, I tried, had some success and that's it. It was a good run". I was happy with that mediocre level of success and didn't venture forward further.

But that was me. You may need to find your own demon(s) too.

On a more practical note, let me share with you some tactics to kickstart the system... to cure the symptoms while the disease is being diagnosed and cured.

The worst, main symptom that manifests itself is the big, bad old Procrastination monster. And his best buddy in the world, Resistance. They come hand in hand.

And when they come, the main thought in our minds that they put to achieve their mission is "There are so many things I need to do, and they all take so much time and energy. How can I do all of them??" When that happens, we eventually do nothing.

So what I do is this: I acknowledge the feeling or thought. I dun resist it or push it away. I agree with it and embrace it. I let the feeling or thought totally engulf me for a moment. And then I take a deep slow breath... and as I breathe out slowly, I say, "Ok, you've had your moment. Time for you to go. I need to be myself now.", and let that resisting thought & feeling dissipate as I exhale slowly.

And then I continue breathing in and out while I empty my mind. I do that for 5 or 6 breaths until my mind is totally quiet and empty.

And then, in a matter-of-fact manner, I just think of the first thing I need to do and get the things ready. That's all at first. I just commit to getting the stuff I need ready first. No commitment to do the task yet.

So if the task is writing an article. I will just go to my laptop, open up Word and close everything else. They key here is to act like a robot... or in the very least, act in the third person. As if I am another person who is helping "Andy" get ready the stuff he needs to write. Get out of my own way.

And then I will just sit there. I will do some more breathing exercises to further empty & quiet my mind. Enjoy the tranquility for a while, and then without thinking, I just start. No commitment to finish the task. I just start. What I find is that I will get into a groove and before I know, I've written an article and I can't stop myself. I will go on writing more articles.

The key to all this is not to think about finishing your tasks but to just start. Starting doesn't take much effort. First you'll say, "Ok, I'll start by just turning on my laptop and opening up Word." Then, "Since I'm here, I'll just write the title first". Then, the first line, and so on and so forth. Before you know it, you will hit a groove.

Another thing that helps me also is to think of all my Push and Pull factors. You see, everything we do happens because we want to get away from something (Push) and/or move towards something (Pull).

You may think that sometimes there are either Push or Pull factors, but if you really think about it, you can always come up with Push and Pull factors for anything you want done. When you have both Push and Pull, the force to do something is stronger than if you just have Pull or Push.

All the best Neville and I hope that helped.

[igorhelpsyousucceed]

How about simple discipline?

It takes just a little bit of discipline to keep
yourself focused and motivated.

It is just like getting up in the morning. You always have that fight
with yourself. You need to train your mind to become disciplined and to
always win those fights.

Igor

[Daniel Brock]

Originally Posted by igorhelpsyousucceed

How about simple discipline?

It takes just a little bit of discipline to keep
yourself focused and motivated.

It is just like getting up in the morning. You always have that fight
with yourself. You need to train your mind to become disciplined and to
always win those fights.

Igor

I agree with this - also add some variety to your routine. It gets boring writing articles everyday so do something different.

I have been jumping all over the place lately - setting up my review sites, creating my first product which is a few days from launch now. Spend one month doing one technique - next month do another

[Sven Schoene]

Originally Posted by igorhelpsyousucceed

How about simple discipline?

It takes just a little bit of discipline to keep
yourself focused and motivated.

It is just like getting up in the morning. You always have that fight
with yourself. You need to train your mind to become disciplined and to
always win those fights.

Igor

Great advice, Igor!


Discipline is one of my two cornerstones of getting work done. Psychology has found out, though, that self-control is a resource which can be used up and has to refill itself. The correct term for this is Ego Depletion.


So, will power is the first thing you absolutely have to possess. The other thing is real heartfelt motivation. You know, the type of motivation which makes you WANT to jump out of bed after just two hours of sleep because you keep waking up with all these great ideas in mind. Fuel that motivation however and whenever you can.


Motivation is also a resource which needs time to refill. That's why I have conditioned myself to switch between self-control and motivation as needed.

[GarryMSayer]

Hey this is a great thread and I'm sure there's gonna be lots more helpful info contributed to it.

So I'd just like to nudge-in with my opinion and discuss what has helps me, then I really must get back to work!

Without motivation you will never have discipline. Daily to-do lists are great and have helped me enormously, but to help you get disciplined maybe you need to remind yourself why you want to do this whole IM thing. I recommend you write it down, and at the same time, write down your goals (both short term and long-term).

Another reason for a lack of productivity, and this is often overlooked in favour of psychological reasons, is poor energy levels.

The three things that have really helped me in boosting my energy levels are:

Cutting down the caffeine : this may sound like the opposite of what you should do, but a caffeine high is then followed by a low, if you switch to decaff you'll see a drastic improvement in the consistency of your energy levels.

Exercise : yes you knew this was coming didn't you! However I'm not talking about hardcore weight training or strenuous marathon running, but some gentle or moderate exercise over a sustained period of time, this will do wonders for all areas of your health including your energy levels.

Breathe Deeply : our bodies need oxygen, and if you slump your body it compresses the chest and reduces the oxygen getting into your system, get up, have a walk around when you feel lethargic, and pull your shoulders back and get some good deep breaths down.

Hope this helps.

Now stop slacking off reading and get some work done!

Garry.

[Smokey_Joe]

As for me, compiling task lists is almost always a signal that I'm so unwilling to do this that eventually I might end up not doing this at all

But this is probably just me.

The key here is motivation. Apart from clearing your mind of what might be obscuring the goals, the task lists, the plans and the thrill.

You might be just plain tired - switch the kind of activity. And yes, exercise is an option - good old walking in the woods would do.

Also, I think it was Agatha Christie who claimed to have come up with a bunch of ideas for murder stories while doing the dishes . If you happen to be in need of a couple of whodunnits, you might try that one as well

[Michael Franklin]

Two things keep me on track:

1) Exercise When The Day Starts

Going for a daily walk or gym session at the start of my day does wonders for my whole frame of mind. It really helps set the productive tone for my day. Often, ideas will come to me when I workout as well as solutions to problems that I have been mulling over.

I find that doing it first thing in the morning really makes a huge difference. I'm half asleep before I start and yet I'm not conscoious enough to make excuses not to exercise!

2) White Board By The Computer

Haveing a huge white board near my computer monitor is like having my own manager that keeps me motivated. I post my long-term goals on there and break it down into short-term goals as well.

There's something magical about it because I tried doing the same thing with organizers and online software, and still nothing came close to the effectiveness I 've seen with a white board.

I also mind map ideas on there whenever I get inspired on here or elsewhere. There really is power behind seeing in big bold letters what you should be doing as well as where you need to go.....Plus, I find that I can't click away and do something mindless when that white board is just starting at me!

[SchultzMarketer]

Start a spreadsheet, make your weekly schedule in the spreadsheet, and plan out what kind of marketing you'll be doing. block it off in 30 minute blocks. Also, don't forget about "ME TIME". You have to have time to excercise, family, read books, learn new techniques. some of that should be blocked off in there as well.

You're the only one that can keep YOU motivated. Just think to yourself, do I really want to continue working this J.O.B. for the rest of my life with the hopes of losing it all at the end, or do I want to work really hard right now at this internet marketing and reap the benefits in a few years!!! Consistency is Key!!!

YOU WILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME GETTING YOUR BUSINESS GOING. GET PASSIONATE ABOUT SOMETHING AND DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

WHEN YOU DECIDE TO SUCCEED, IT IS D.O.N.E.

[Dan C. Rinnert]

Originally Posted by nevillealston

-Vision boards?

When you're in a rut, the last thing you need is another distraction.

-To do lists?

Good for organization, but ineffective for getting out of a rut. When you're in a rut, they serve as a distraction. You look over the list, looking for something to do, perhaps the "easiest" thing and, if that gets too hard or boring, you look for something else. Or, you just stare at the list, wondering how you'll ever be able to get all that done. So, it becomes a distraction.

-Or any type of new strategy that has been working for you PLEASE share!!!???

I had a similar problem last week and, while I got a lot of good advice from the thread, what really helped was (ironically) an old eBook project I had on the backburner. You should follow the advice in one of your own projects, no? And, I realized I wasn't putting into practice what was written in that old eBook project. So, I put it into action, and that really helped boost my productivity.

In a nutshell, it's essentially Elmer Hurlstone's advice to "Just suck it in and get it done." You just clear your mind of any distractions and focus on the task at hand. That means forgetting the vision board, setting aside the to do list and just concentrating on the task at hand. Don't think about being in a rut. Don't wonder how you'll get everything done. Just do it.

[TorontoCarol]

Since I started meeting weekly with an online accountability group, my motivation has gone up. Knowing that I need to state what I will do each week and then having to post my results has given me a needed push. Since those around me don't have a clue what I'm doing and aren't overly supportive, I value that peer interaction.

[Jeff Williams]

Neville,

I know exactly what you're going through right now. I've been there, so I know how frustrated you are becoming.

Here's what I finally had to do. I created a rule for myself. One rule. Here it is: "Get one thing done before morning coffee". That's it.

I can screw up the rest of the day. I just make sure I get my "one thing" done before coffee. Is that going to make you uber successful? Eh, probably not. But here's what it will do:

1. Teaches you consistency. The single most important work trait you can ever have. When you do something day after day almost relentlessly, you have no other choice but to prevail. Because it becomes second nature to you. A habit. Work becomes easier.

2. Teaches you priority. Writing an article is "work". Coffee is a pleasure I enjoy only when my work is done. If you always do the "hard thing" first before pleasure, you'll become that guy that "gets it done" all the time.

3. Gives you a sense of accomplishment. When you finally do something you didn't think you would ever get around to doing, you feel proud of yourself. Happy with yourself. Hopeful of your future because you now know you can do anything you set your mind on.

4. Gives you momentum. Oftentimes, you are not really lazy. You just need a little push. Usually, if you just focus and work for as little as 5 minutes, you become engrossed in what you are doing and you continue working.

For example, say you were to make a rule for yourself like, "I will write one article everyday before coffee|breakfast|shower|etc." Forget about everything else for a moment and focus on that one single task. You may find that instead of writing just one article, you continue writing several more because you are "into" the research and are having several other article ideas you want to write about now. That's momentum. It's very powerful.

Sell yourself on this principle, practice it daily, and scale it every month (make new rules for yourself every 30 days) and you will become way more productive than you ever thought.

Anyway, hope this helps you bro. Just remember, you're the boss. Don't settle for lazy employees in your house.

~Jeff

[JohnMcCabe]

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass here, but one great motivator for me is a walk out to the mailbox.

It seems like every day it's filled with motivational messages. These messages come in two flavors...

The best ones have a little window in the envelope so I can tell there's a check inside, made out to me or one of my companies.

The majority, though, have little windows in the envelope and when you open them, there's a printout that says "Balance due:" followed by a number.

When the former come in, it's a shot of endorphins. When it's the latter, it's a shot of adrenalin.

Either way, I know I need enough of the first ones to make sure I can cover the others. So it's back to work...