Is This Really The End Of My IM Dream?

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Hi Fellow Forum Buddies,

This is a my first thread on the Warrior Forum and wanted to ask for some much needed advice on the subject of getting started with making money online.

I am not new to the subject of internet marketing and have spent the last 18 months reading, learning and buying various courses as well as attending many seminars. I know what a squeeze page is, an OTO, Sales landing page, marketing funnel is.....you get the picture.

My problem, which is getting me really frustrated is finding a niche where I have either experience in or a passion for. I have racked my brain and it seems that I am experiencing a mind numbing case of "writers block" because no matter what idea I think about, nothing seems to float my boat.

Is this maybe because I feel overloaded with info? Maybe! Or is it simply that I feel a little overwhelmed by where to really start despite my knowledge? Maybe!

Despite acquiring great knowledge on Internet marketing in general, I have never got to the stage of following through with any course until the end.

The question I ask is this just me, or loads of people experiencing this same dilemna? If so how the hell do I get over it and eventually start reaping the $$$ from my knowledge. Is it a psychological or physical block that is stopping me from succeeding?

Or is this simply the end of my Internet Marketing dream and face facts and move on with my life?

Your help would be really awesome but please don't beat me up too much:p

Many Thanks

Mark Hughes
#dream #end
  • Profile picture of the author waken
    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    My problem, which is getting me really frustrated is finding a niche where I have either experience in or a passion for. I have racked my brain and it seems that I am experiencing a mind numbing case of "writers block" because no matter what idea I think about, nothing seems to float my boat.Mark Hughes
    This is not your main problem. You don't need to find niche that you personally love or passionate about while that might be the perfect world if you have one. Instead, find niches that are competitive and in demand coz there's where the golds are..


    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    Despite acquiring great knowledge on Internet marketing in general, I have never got to the stage of following through with any course until the end.
    Mark Hughes
    This is the problem .. but since you know it, why aren't you finding ways to fix it?

    Good luck pal ... and don't worry to use your real name here...

    Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
    You already know what your problem is. You said it in your post. You
    haven't found a niche that excites you.

    You're looking for the best of both worlds. You want to work in a niche
    that can make you lots of money but you also want to work in one where
    you're not saying to yourself, "God, I hate this boring crap."

    It's not an easy balancing act.

    I was fortunate to find things I am passionate about, at least enough to
    not get sick to my stomach each day doing them.

    You're going to have to decide what's more important to you if you can't
    find that magic "I love this" niche.

    1. Making money
    2. Loving what you're doing

    Until you reach that decision, nobody here can help you no matter what
    advice they give you.

    And trust me...you're going to get a lot of people coming to this thread
    saying "do this" or "do that"

    Until you get rid of that sick to your stomach feeling when thinking about
    selling denture cream or whatever, none of those suggestions are going
    to make a damn bit of difference.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ernie Lo
    Mark many many many people go through what you are currently going experiecing. Eventually you will get sick of failing and you will understand your mistakes.

    For me it took over 5 years to realise I was my own worst enemy and now I'm finally making some money regularly and have a real plan in action.

    It appears you have outlined your errors which are mainly not sticking with 1 thing until the end and not starting due to feeling lost/overwhelmed - that is very normal.

    But in the end nothing we tell you is going to register in that brain of yours until you want it bad enough.

    You either want it bad enough and you'll get your **** together and start something and stick through with it.

    OR

    You'll give up.

    Unfortunately with comments like "Or is this simply the end of my Internet Marketing dream and face facts and move on with my life?"

    It sounds like you are not feeling confident or simply dont want this enough.

    It's not as easy as you thought and it takes a lot of work.

    The question is are you willing to work for it?
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Originally Posted by Ernie Lonardo View Post

      Mark many many many people go through what you are currently going experiecing. Eventually you will get sick of failing and you will understand your mistakes.

      For me it took over 5 years to realise I was my own worst enemy and now I'm finally making some money regularly and have a real plan in action.

      It appears you have outlined your errors which are mainly not sticking with 1 thing until the end and not starting due to feeling lost/overwhelmed - that is very normal.

      But in the end nothing we tell you is going to register in that brain of yours until you want it bad enough.

      You either want it bad enough and you'll get your **** together and start something and stick through with it.

      OR

      You'll give up.

      Unfortunately with comments like "Or is this simply the end of my Internet Marketing dream and face facts and move on with my life?"

      It sounds like you are not feeling confident or simply dont want this enough.

      It's not as easy as you thought and it takes a lot of work.

      The question is are you willing to work for it?

      Ernie, if the guy was an accomplished guitarist and had a sure fire way
      of teaching guitar to others, and was passionate about his music, believe
      me...he'd have a business up and running in no time.

      His problem is nothing does it for him. He's looking for a way to make
      money while feeling nothing inside.

      Some people can't do that.
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      • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
        Mark, let me ask you a question.

        What do you love more than anything in this world?

        If there's a way to make money at it, there's your answer.

        If not...make a decision.

        Love or money.

        You may not be able to have both.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ernie Lo
        I see Steven that does make it mighty hard for us to help the guy since we dont know his true passions.

        I wont begin to try and understand it, I would of thought someone who obviously wants to work for himself online and not have a regular job and someone who has said he has been reading and buying IM courses for 18 months wouldnt care too much about what niche he worked in and would want to get something....heck anything going producing an income for himself.

        Mark I guess like Steven said tell us what your true passions are in life and we'll try and give you some ideas.



        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        Ernie, if the guy was an accomplished guitarist and had a sure fire way
        of teaching guitar to others, and was passionate about his music, believe
        me...he'd have a business up and running in no time.

        His problem is nothing does it for him. He's looking for a way to make
        money while feeling nothing inside.

        Some people can't do that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
    Originally Posted by precious007 View Post

    I think that "Action" is what really
    matters. Taking action is way more important
    than having a plan believe me.

    You might be overwhelmed with too
    much information, that's what usually happens.
    But still if you want to succeed you'll
    need to take action.

    If you already have a plan in mind go on
    and implement it.

    Simple as that. We have all failed at
    some point. :-)

    Cheers
    Al.

    He's not taking action because nothing turns him on. Read the post
    again.

    Until he gets over that "I have to love what I'm doing" mentality (if he
    can) there is no way he's going to be able to do anything.

    Trust me...I know what I'm talking about.

    Some people can't just do anything just for the sake of making money.
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    • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
      Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

      He's not taking action because nothing turns him on. Read the post
      again.

      Until he gets over that "I have to love what I'm doing" mentality (if he
      can) there is no way he's going to be able to do anything.

      Trust me...I know what I'm talking about.

      Some people can't just do anything just for the sake of making money.
      Excellent points Steve, my niche is helping others. I help retail businesses get more web traffic and get paid for it.

      I still don't really get the niche blogs and chasing the next affiliate program. That seems like that could be very stressful with small income returns.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
    Have you ever written down a simple list of everything you like to do?

    For example, I like to do the following things:

    make videos
    eat
    find good prices for things

    Ok, so this is 3 completely different things, each with a million different ways I can monetize on them.

    In my past life, I was a ballet dancer - yet this is no longer my passion.

    Now, I could easily put together a site about dancing and sell dancing gear, etc - because I did it long enough to be an authority on the subject.


    You don't have to wait for the exact passion to hit to get started and actually make money.

    Each site, campaign, etc that you actively try to explore will allow you to develop new skills and learn a whole lot about what you are doing.

    Along the way, you are more likely to discover your real passion if you are out testing things and trying to get ready by practicing the other things you are going to need to do.

    When that passion hits - you will have a site and campaign/product what ever so fast that people will wonder what hit them.

    So, what is your general list of things you "like" ?
    Signature

    "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      And here is a silly thought:

      Try to become passionate about finding your passion.


      Here's what I would do in this situation.

      I would start a free wordpress blog, and every day I would try something new and report back in the blog on the new thing I tried and how it made me feel.

      Once I hit on something I really did like, I would then go explore that particular thing and how to market or monetize on the idea, and then go and set up shop somewhere where I could sell and promote (not on the free blog )

      It can include trying a new appliance, walking a different way to work, cleaning things with a new product, anything.

      I try new things when ever I see the opportunity.

      Just yesterday I bought a new flavor of pringles. I could totally write a whole post about it and how those compare to other flavors.

      Get passionate about finding your passion, and put some new skills into play.
      Signature

      "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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      • Profile picture of the author Geoff A
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post


        You're looking for the best of both worlds. You want to work in a niche
        that can make you lots of money but you also want to work in one where
        you're not saying to yourself, "God, I hate this boring crap."
        LOL - great reply Steve. I have been there - am still there to a degree. I can really empathize with Mark.There is really a balance to find - this applies in the offline world as well as the online world.

        Originally Posted by avenuegirl View Post

        And here is a silly thought:

        Try to become passionate about finding your passion.
        I think this is part of the answer. Set a goal to find something you are passionate about that will also make you the kind of money you want to earn.

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      • Profile picture of the author frankm
        I agree with every word that Steven has written in the post.

        But to find your passion, you might have to give up looking for it... it's sounds counter-intuitive.

        For me, it was only after leaving my previous business behind that I completely accidentally stumbled upon my purpose in life.

        I had spent 2 years looking, just like you, for that perfect product or perfect niche. But it wasn't until I stopped looking for it that I found it.

        I even threw out all my old marketing library.

        And this has worked again in another area of my life...

        I was recently told that when I gave up trying to give up smoking it would just happen. Then one night I had a dream that I went to take a cigarette but suddenly stopped and said "What am I doing? I'm a NON-SMOKER!"

        Then I woke up, and the first thing I remembered was "I'm a non-smoker". And that was it, every time I thought of a cigarette I interrupted the thinking process with "I'm a non-smoker".

        Just trust in God, the great spirit, a higher power, the organizing principle of the universe, as long as its something greater than yourself. Pray that you will discover your purpose!

        Frank
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        • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
          Originally Posted by frankm View Post

          I was recently told that when I gave up trying to give up smoking it would just happen. Then one night I had a dream that I went to take a cigarette but suddenly stopped and said "What am I doing? I'm a NON-SMOKER!"
          I got married the same way. I just gave up on trying to find someone and started enjoying life free of pressure. It worked.
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          Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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      • Profile picture of the author Heidi White
        Originally Posted by avenuegirl View Post

        And here is a silly thought:

        Try to become passionate about finding your passion.


        Here's what I would do in this situation.

        I would start a free wordpress blog, and every day I would try something new and report back in the blog on the new thing I tried and how it made me feel.

        Once I hit on something I really did like, I would then go explore that particular thing and how to market or monetize on the idea, and then go and set up shop somewhere where I could sell and promote (not on the free blog )

        It can include trying a new appliance, walking a different way to work, cleaning things with a new product, anything.

        I try new things when ever I see the opportunity.

        Just yesterday I bought a new flavor of pringles. I could totally write a whole post about it and how those compare to other flavors.

        Get passionate about finding your passion, and put some new skills into play.

        Brilliant.
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  • Profile picture of the author richgrad
    Take that limiting belief you have that's causing you to be stuck and See, hear and feel this frustration you're feeling as a result of having and living with this belief.

    Bring it forward 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 20 years from now... Look back and see, hear and feel how this belief has cost you... emotionally, mentally, physically, financially...

    Is this the way you want to live your life?

    Is there another belief you would rather have (something directly opposite to the limiting belief)?

    Take that new belief...

    Do the same thing... see, hear and feel how that belief affects your life...

    Take it forward 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 20 years...

    See how this new belief have enriched you... emotionally, mentally, physically, financially...

    Which would you prefer?

    Now take that good feeling you feel thats a result of your new empowering belief... allow it to flow through your entire body... I want you to anchor it... (do something unique like punch your fist in the air and shout YESSSSSSSSSS or something less dramatic)

    and realize that anytime you get the feeling of being stuck, you can always use THIS resource... this EMPOWERING feeling to overcome it and TAKE ACTION towards your goals...

    because you deserve to be the BEST you!
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    Put it another way, very few people end up doing what they thought they would be doing for a living when they were in high school. Some may come to hate their work whereas others love it even through it was not their original choice.

    You should do the same for IM. Certainly in my case, I would never have imagined what I am doing now.
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    Do not get between a wombat and a chocolate biscuit; you will regret it dearly!

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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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    • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post


      It was lucky for me that I took exactly the opposite course and abandoned it, stopped taking action and instead came up with a totally new plan: a few months later I was making a good full-time living from a little less work than I'd put in during those first few months.
      I think that would be very marketable. At least I know a lot of people including me that would like to know what you did. If you have a course or WSO about it I'm just not aware.
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      Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      we dont know his true passions
      There lies the problem. Before taking any more action, I'd suggest a reality check.

      A common thread of many dispirited new marketers is

      "can't find my passion"
      "internet marketing dream/lifestyle/journey/adventure/whatever"

      IM is learning how to do the nitty gritty - and doing the work. If you wait to find a niche you are passionate about, you'll wait a long time. If you choose a personal "passion" you may find you are the only person interested in it and it won't be successful.

      The "passion" doesn't have to be about the niche - you can be passionate about the money you will earn - the ways you can help others, etc.

      There are niches I won't work in because I find them totally boring or distasteful. However, there are hundred of niches I can work in because I can learn something new on the way. I may not have a passion for them - but I have interest in the money I can make in those niches.

      Internet marketing isn't about finding only things YOU love - it's about finding what others are interested in and providing what those people want.

      We often see complaints about misleading new marketers with products that promise easy money - but marketers mislead themselves when they believe an online business should be a dream job where you do what you love for a few hours a week. That may be a reality for highly successful IMers - but there's a lot to do before you ever reach that level.

      Adjust your expectations of what an IMer does every day - and then take action.

      kay
      Signature
      Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
      ***
      One secret to happiness is to let every situation be
      what it is instead of what you think it should be.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

        I am not new to the subject of internet marketing and have spent the last 18 months reading, learning and buying various courses as well as attending many seminars. I know what a squeeze page is, an OTO, Sales landing page, marketing funnel is.....you get the picture.
        Hmm, if I would spend 18 months on something, I would think there must be something interesting about it. I would have to be a tinsy bit passionate about it to spend that much time.

        Originally Posted by cashcow View Post


        Just take one of those and start taking some action. Once you make your first sale you might discover that you like the niche a lot more than you thought!
        LOL, yes! Anything that gives me money can certainly make me instantaneously passionate about it. ROFL
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        "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Alexa - think of the extended possibilities - into products to cure foot pain for those who refuse the flat shoe approach, and then you could move to spinal problems caused by failure to wear flat shoes and then into exercise products to counteract the effects of not wearing flat shoes.
        Signature
        Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
        ***
        One secret to happiness is to let every situation be
        what it is instead of what you think it should be.
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      • Profile picture of the author HeySal
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I confess that this particular niche has passed me by, but I do take the point that one's center of gravity would inevitably be lower in flat shoes than in stilettos.
        LMAO.

        Ya know, when I got into this whole three-ring circus, I hadn't a clue what the hell was going on. I was so completely lost the guy behind the curtain himself couldn't have gotten me home from there.

        But I know what I love. I had no plan because I didn't know enough about the online world to even start making a plan. So I just took action. Eventually the plan solidified as I worked....but then I've always done things backward...I don't think it really matters what end you start out on as long as you get to X marks the spot. But you have to start at one end or another to get to X.

        I can't imagine someone not being passionate about ANYTHING. Like politics and have a fax machine? There ya go. Are you a hiker, biker, TVaholic, devoted husband or father? Have the best ways to fix stuff around the house? Use only certain types of products for self-maintenance? Ecology minded? Religion? Occult? Do you dunk your donuts in coffee without fail? What kind of coffee, what kind of donuts? Hmm. What pisses you off more than anything?

        If you seriously can't think of anything that revs you at least somewhat, maybe business isn't your problem. Get out more for cripes sakes or find out why your hormone system is fried.
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        Sal
        When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
        Beyond the Path

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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      OK, let's take a look at this...

      You have accumulated a significant amount of "book learnin'"

      You have gone to seminars.

      You have not found a niche you can be passionate about, and because of that you have put nothing you've learned into action.

      I agree with Alexa, simply "taking action" is poor advice in this case. Let me explain:

      When I started backpacking, there were no GPS units so they taught us to navigate by map and compass. Even if you knew what you were doing, you still found yourself in situations where you might not be real sure about where you were (not really lost, yet, just confused). Someone into just "taking action" might go charging through the woods, getting thoroughly lost, while spending some time thinking about things might lead you back to where you could pinpoint your location. They even taught us a jingle...

      "Never panic when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout."

      Running in a small circle, hollering and shouting, wore off some of that panicky energy so you could sit down and think rationally.

      Right now, I'm getting the feeling you're at that "not sure where I am" stage.

      OK, you have the knowledge. Time for some lab work.

      The object of the lab is to a) get you some practice to go with the theory, and b) get you familiar with the idea of working in a niche. Any money you make during the lab will be a happy accident.

      Pick a market you are familiar with, perhaps one you are in yourself. For example, I might pick middle-aged married guys with no kids.

      Next, we pick a niche within that market. What keeps people in this market up at night? What do they worry about? If you picked a market you are already in, this should be easy enough. Just list the things that nag at you...

      At this point, you aren't looking for a niche you are passionate about. You probably won't find one that you love enough to make it your business until you actually spend some time working in that niche. Until then, you're just guessing.

      So just pick something that you enjoy or something you worry about and want to explore.

      Start a blog, a website, a Squidoo lens, a Hubpage, something. I'd probably go with a cheap hosting account and domain name (consider the cost as lab supplies). Start using what you've learned and pick a domain name, register it and set up the blog or website.

      Go through and just practice doing what you learned from courses and seminars. Play with keyword research, SEO, writing articles, producing audio and video content, and so on. If you want to try monetizing the lab, pick a Clickbank product or set up an associate account at Amazon. Sign up for Adsense. Whatever trips your trigger; this is a learning experience so you might want to try a bunch of things to see if any of them excite you.

      Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. Pay very close attention to the things you like doing and the things you don't. Your goal is to learn by doing at this point. You just want to experience doing online business without the pressure of making a pile of money.

      You may find that you love the process, and the niche isn't as important as you thought.

      You may find that the niche is important, and you have a framework for exploring different niches until you do find the one or ones you want to stick with.

      You may find that the theory is far more pleasurable than the practice, and that you really don't want to go deeper in trying to make money online. If you do, that's cool. You'll finally know for sure.

      Time span for this lab work should be 2-6 months.

      If you find yourself in the "run in circles, scream and shout" mode, come here and ask for specific advice.

      If you find that you absolutely can't stand the niche you picked, don't be afraid to abandon it and start over but examine your feelings to make sure it's the niche you can't stand.

      Good luck to you...
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Scott
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      In my first 4 - 5 months of internet marketing, I worked a minimum of 30 hours per week taking action, and earned almost nothing at all.

      ...

      It was lucky for me that I took exactly the opposite course and abandoned it, stopped taking action and instead came up with a totally new plan: a few months later I was making a good full-time living from a little less work than I'd put in during those first few months.
      It helps that Alexa is *ridiculously* intelligent. I would expect most people might take a little (or a lot) longer to "crack" the nut like she did.

      Just wanted to point this out so everyone has realistic expectations.

      In regards to the OP, welcome to the world of business - doing stuff you really don't want to do.

      I don't like doing my tax... or writing articles... or creating products.

      But I do this stuff because it has to be done... and in the case of the last two I don't trust anyone else to do it as well as me in most cases.

      My point is business is FILLED with stuff you don't WANT to do. Just like any J.O.B.

      You have to learn the discipline to get through that so you can enjoy the benefits of being in business for yourself.

      -Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
    I envy those with a direction and passion when they are young. I'm still in the, I wanna be a Fireman, Doctor, Policeman, Pilot, Golfer, astronaut stage.

    What if you can't ever decide what you love? What if you are a dreamer and that's what you love? I think more people love to dream about a life of wealth than create one.

    Reality sometimes bites. Dreaming about being the ideal weight and a perfect body is exciting but eating carrots and sweating to get there turns people off quickly. That's why the "Eat anything you want, sit on your butt and lose weight" ads appeal to people.

    Tony Robbins made a lucrative career about teaching people to be successful. His whole program boils down to getting people to take action. In other words, getting the brain to accept and like doing things it normally would reject in order to get a result.

    The battle is not "Will this work" the battle is "Will I work?"
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    Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post


      The battle is not "Will this work" the battle is "Will I work?"
      I agree. Don't think you can just rely on the passion alone to fuel you.

      Going back to that dancing stage in my life, there were days where I did not want to go in to class and work out. There were parties and things I missed, and socializing with other teens at the time because my classes happened during all these other fun things going on.

      My parents did not want me trying things like downhill skiing, or anything that may have been really dangerous and could have caused injuries that would kill what I was doing.

      Everything has a price.

      The passion can give you a flame to kick you off, but there is a lot of work to keep it alive and kicking.
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      "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"

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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      It IS immensely frustrating not to know what you want to do. There's so much hype in the make-money-from-home/IM niches, it's sickening.

      I've recently been getting some coaching from a mentor and like a lot of Warriors, I download tons of free audios and watch free webinars, etc. Two different mentors have touched on knowing your why and I can see why's it's important. To be successful, you really need to know your why. And your reason why you're doing what you're doing can change as you change. And that's all right.

      What turns you on? What is your passionate place? And I'm not talking about making money per se. Just in general. Once you've figured it out, THEN see how you can make money from it.

      I lost my job last February. Fortunately, I FINALLY know what I want to do and what business model I want to use and I'm pursuing it now. But it's taken over seven years. I've dabbled and made some money, but not a lot. I just didn't know what I wanted to do and I never really liked or felt completely comfortable enough with anything I did to get out there in a big way.

      Same thing for my sister. She's been dabbling with different things and for the last two years has been trying to build a wedding/event favor business. It wasn't working out and she realized she needed help or she was going to have to just quit business altogether. So she went to a marketing workshop two weeks ago and realized that the favor business just wasn't her real passion. She's starting a completely new business and with all of her previous business research and marketing know-how, she's launching a new business and already has serious leads for her services. And her new business is barely a week old!

      Her husband, my brother-in-law, wants to start a business too, but has no idea what he wants to do. In barely a week, he's changed business ideas three times and is frustrated that it's not happened for him yet.

      It takes time and the process is different for everyone. Maybe part of it is that you're not in the right place in your life. That was true for me.

      Since you've spent so much time and money researching, maybe you just need to get away. Forget about IM for a while and become scarce on the WF. Turn it all off and put your marketing courses in a closet. Go live your life and your subconscious will deliever the answer to you. Sometimes, the only way to find answers is to stop looking for them.

      This might seem like a somewhat vague post, but I'm very serious.

      Hope that helps!

      Michelle
      Signature
      "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
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  • Profile picture of the author Ricci Cox
    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    Is this simply the end of my Internet Marketing dream and face facts and move on with my life?
    Hey Mark,

    My initial response from reading your post is that you haven't really got enough 'desire' (you know, that real passionate fire-in-your-belly feeling!) to succeed and follow a course/method through until the end so maybe IM is just not for you...

    I remember watching a video of Frank Kern and John Reese I think it was, many months ago... and they were talking about people who succeed in business (online, offline, whatever...) have a REAL DESIRE to change their life for the better.

    Many have gone from stone broke to MILLIONAIRES in just a few years because of that drive and desire and a reason WHY they wanted to change their life - whether it was to get out of their 9-5 job, pay off their massive debts or whatever - they had a goal and a real reason...

    Maybe you just don't have that one real reason why you want to succeed at IM. Like you said, you haven't found a niche your passionate about yet.

    I would ask yourself why you first got into IM in the first place. Was it for the money? The freedom, etc?

    Whatever that 'reason' was, maybe you just don't feel the same way anymore. Maybe your now perfectly happy with your life and lifestyle? In which case why change it?

    I would suggest that you go find something you DO enjoy doing - life is WAAAAY to short to be unhappy - and there is more to life than money...

    Whatever YOU decide, good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    Well surely, there must be something that you like? Dogs, growing tomatoes, solar energy, green living, saltwater aquariums, fishing, boating, hiking, computers, gardening ......

    Just take one of those and start taking some action. Once you make your first sale you might discover that you like the niche a lot more than you thought!

    But even if you end up hating it, then you will have learned some valuable IM stuff along the way which you can apply to your real passion once you do discover what it is.

    There's no rule that says you have to stick with what you start with, but if you don't start with something then you will never get anywhere.

    Lee
    Signature
    Gone Fishing
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  • Profile picture of the author sinpeople
    why not test through a series of products in different niches? I did this when I had no clue at all with affiliate marketing. After I got a bunch of sales from multiple products, I knew I had some kind of knowledge as a base to start with... until I became REAL expert in that niche.

    Information overload? It is not a problem at all. It is far better than no information at all. To take action is a real problem. Personally I believe that I learn something whenever I take action, even it failed miserably.

    Before I understood the whole big puzzle of internet marketing, I tried a lot of things. I built forums. The forum didn't last long. However the knowledge I learned in setting up a CMS website gave me an edge in dealing website related tasks. I drived traffic with PPC. It also didn't last long cos I can only break even. However, I learned almost everything about Google adwords, I knew the keywords that converts by proper tracking... From there, I knew that I lost the visitor if I didn't capture their emails to contact them in the future.... hence the importance of building a list....To this point, the whole picture is almost there...

    Take action decisively and you will gain towards the right direction. Be always bear in mind that there is always a learn curve. It is always impossible to become an expert over night.

    Good luck
    David
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  • Profile picture of the author Adam Roy
    two words...

    TAKE ACTION.


    You probably know everything you need to know to make money online.

    Write yourself up a step by step plan to follow...with each step being something you already know.

    Make your landing page, your sales page, and your opt in pages.

    Then write up a list of things you can do each day, each day doing something different than the day before.

    YOU probably know enough about IM to be a millionare, but honestly taking action on EVERY SINGLE TIP AND TRICK you learn....and it WILL pay off.


    YOU REAP WHAT YOU SEW!
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    • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
      Originally Posted by friend View Post

      two words...

      TAKE ACTION.
      three words..

      Read previous posts.

      YOU REAP WHAT YOU SEW!
      So many gags, so little time.
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  • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    I am not new to the subject of internet marketing and have spent the last 18 months reading, learning and buying various courses as well as attending many seminars. I know what a squeeze page is, an OTO, Sales landing page, marketing funnel is.....you get the picture.
    I get the picture, you've wasted 18 months of your time doing nothing. Sorry to be rough on you, but it's the truth.

    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    My problem, which is getting me really frustrated is finding a niche where I have either experience in or a passion for. I have racked my brain and it seems that I am experiencing a mind numbing case of "writers block" because no matter what idea I think about, nothing seems to float my boat.
    And you've fallen victim to one of the most misleading things in the IM world, that you have to have 'passion' for a specific topic before you can take action. This is one of the biggest excuses for inaction out there.

    What needs to be the biggest passion in your life? YOU! If you aren't passionate about you and your success little else will matter. Get passionate about you first...

    The go-getter: a story that tells ... - Google Books

    Next, what should you pick as your business? Well, it's probably already right in front of you...

    Russell Conwell -- "Acres of Diamonds"

    And, how should you run your business once you actually start it...

    The Art of Money Getting, by P.T. Barnum

    Lastly, watch this video and part two of it as well...

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    • Profile picture of the author PJ Harmsworth
      Originally Posted by bgmacaw View Post

      I get the picture, you've wasted 18 months of your time doing nothing. Sorry to be rough on you, but it's the truth.



      And you've fallen victim to one of the most misleading things in the IM world, that you have to have 'passion' for a specific topic before you can take action. This is one of the biggest excuses for inaction out there.

      What needs to be the biggest passion in your life? YOU! If you aren't passionate about you and your success little else will matter. Get passionate about you first...
      bgmacaw is so right. If you don't have a passion for creating change, you will not take the action needed (in other words).
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  • Profile picture of the author MarketItAll
    Mark I think you may just be overthinking. Just do your keyword research, and do it with something that you are at least fairly interested in if this is a big deal to you. There are so many niches out there, I find it impossible to believe that there are no niches out there that genuinely interest you. So just stop overthinking and do instead of think.

    I think you just need to setup an outline\gameplan and follow it and you will be just fine.
    Signature
    $1,500,000 in 14 months - OMG Machines ---> I went from $0 to $1,000,000 in under 9 MONTHS.
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  • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
    Mark,

    I'll take a slightly different view to some folks here and outright tell
    you something that some people just can't seem to understand, and
    it's this.

    Not everybody is a writer.

    Making money online is NOT purely based on your ability to write articles.

    Contrary to popular belief it's based even less on your ability to love the topic.

    Aside from anything else, there's no law that states you need to be in the
    same niche until your toes curl.

    You don't have decide on one single niche as if it's something that's going
    to be tattooed to your forehead forever, you have the freedom to move
    from one niche to the next to the next.

    You've gotten yourself enough knowledge from all these seminars and courses
    to hopefully ensure you know how to do keyword research.

    Get yourself some decent keywords together.

    Go pay somebody to write you 20 decent articles that solve the problem
    the audience is facing.

    Get a property up be it be review site, squeeze page, get some content up.

    Start building a list if the niche makes sense to do so.

    Start working on building traffic to the site.

    Make some sales.

    Tweak it out.

    Rinse repeat.

    Just understand you don't need to create and love the content you deal with.

    It's great if you can find a niche you love but it's not the be all and end all criteria wise.

    You've wasted, it seems to me , a long time on future potential failure due
    to variables such as "do I love this niche " which aren't actually that important
    variables when it comes to making money online.

    As I said, this isn't about finding a perfect wife or husband here, it's
    about moving in the right direction, making some mistakes, improving
    your process and putting money in the account.

    I don't really love my work all the time, but it allows me to do things I love to do
    , is that really so bad ?

    There's a whole world of people out there who can do the things you don't want
    to do and for a lot less than your time is probably worth.
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  • Profile picture of the author chennai2020
    In a movie of our local language there was a comedy track which talks about "How to make a million dollar with just 100$", the person who advertised will not be able to deliver any word to the audiance and atlast he struggle to crack saying like, what i wanted to tell you all people is just like I did, advertise like "How to make money" every one of you also do the same and collect 100 dollars from those people who wants to know".This became a great comedy here.I hope the IM niche is also becoming a scam comedy by lot of good earners.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dax Brathwaite
      I'm alot like you. I am passionate about almost nothing. But I know what I hate, and that's having to work 9-5 to make a living. So I bought a Make Money course, and decided to blog about it (that was one year ago). I couldn't find a niche I was passionate about for obvious reasons, so I just picked something and did basic promotion on it. Guess what, I made money with it and am still making money with it. I can't leave my 9-5 yet, but I learned that I am passionate about anything that can help me escape it - that keeps me going in IM.
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    My problem, which is getting me really frustrated is finding a niche where I have either experience in or a passion for. I have racked my brain and it seems that I am experiencing a mind numbing case of "writers block" because no matter what idea I think about, nothing seems to float my boat.
    Your not the only one with that problem, i went half silly trying to get that answer the stuff i have done bored me silly, then after what seemed months of agony my mentor slipped a few words that slapped me in the face with a proverbial wet fish, it was so obvious but i could not see it.

    So now i ask my daughter's what your passion, I ask my wife her passion and yes i ask the next door neighbor and any one else i can find, so if you don't have your own passion borrow one, you never know there just may be a whole lot of people out there with the same problems as the person you chatted to while at the shops.
    Signature
    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
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  • Profile picture of the author Nick Brighton
    Here's my simple solution:

    Ask yourself the following questions:

    1. If I won the lottery, what would I do to keep myself busy and active in 10 years from now?

    2. What really p#sses me off in life? How can I solve it for myself, and then show others how to do the same?

    3. Who do I feel empathy for in life, and how can I help them find happiness?


    =============

    I spent 2 years with this problem.

    I would spend entire days sat staring at the walls, or my PC...blank.

    I'd "just take action" like others tell you to, and a few weeks later, I would find my projects would screech to a halt...with abandoned domain names, and wasted work just sat there.

    I'd go outside, wracking my brains, smoking cigarettes one after the other, worrying about money... (not any more, packed it in years ago).

    That is, until I realized my true passion was selling, psychology and influence.

    How did I know that was my true passion?

    Because it amazed me, made me curious, excited me, and made me feel like there was a skill I could be proud of and share with the world. Sounds corny, but it worked for me.

    Heck, I even went and got a sales job to bust my chops at core sales techniques...THAT is how passionate I was to learn and evolve.

    And then, from there, I went out and started busting my chops in different markets, to learn my trade and do what I love.

    Some people, unfortunately, want the money and the lifestyle, but are not interested in doing the things they need to do in order to get them.

    It's not that they are lazy...it's just that they don't have any passion for it. Whether that's being a marketer, or being a sell out, stand up comedian.

    So, use these questions above, and get closer to what really turns you on in life...the rest will follow. At this stage, forget about marketing. That's a process which comes once you know what you want to market to people.

    The benefit of getting through this stage and truly finding something you dig, is that your marketing will be 100x better, more real, more convincing, more passionate, and heck, more FUN.

    It's easier to tell the world about your stuff when you stand behind it with conviction, than it is trying to peddle any old crap because there's a market there...trust me.
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    • Profile picture of the author MoneyMaker Guy
      Hi Everyone,

      My goodness, I didn't realise that I would spark such a huge reaction from just sharing my feelings. I am ever so grateful to you all(I would be here forever if I had top list all the names) for all the input and truly hands on advice.

      I will now go away and start with a very simple list on what makes me tick as a person and try and establish the real reasons I got into IM in the first place. Secondly, it seems I am missing a vital ingredient in my overall attempts and that is a business/action plan. Damn, I cannot believe that my judgement has become so clouded

      I want to reassure you all that my love of making money online has never dwindled and although I have not reaped any $$$ yet, I will be even more determined now to move forward.

      One person put it so simply that it slapped me silly. "Stop Over Thinking and Get Going". These few words have made me realise that I have spent so much time trying to master every aspect of Internet Marketing and when I came to the point of implementing things, I didn't know where to start.

      Back to basics for me but most of all make a start, even if it is just a squeeze page for now.

      Tons of Tons of Thanks. I will be forever in your debt.

      I'm off to do my planning.

      Cheers

      Mark Hughes
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      • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
        Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post


        Mark Hughes
        Didn't you start Herbalife?
        Signature

        Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

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    • Profile picture of the author Geoff A
      Originally Posted by Nick Brighton View Post


      I spent 2 years with this problem.

      I would spend entire days sat staring at the walls, or my PC...blank.

      I'd "just take action" like others tell you to, and a few weeks later, I would find my projects would screech to a halt...with abandoned domain names, and wasted work just sat there.
      Nick this is a really important point you made here. I too have forced myself to take action when my heart hasn't been in it. I too have dormant domain names and abandoned ebook drafts etc

      Being passionate about what you are doing is not all that important for some people. But for others it is vital. Especially if you are feeling low in your life in general. It can impact your ability to complete.

      I guess as with all things, it comes down to your personal goals. For me passion is a big part of the goal

      This is a great thread by the way - thanks to the OP for posting
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      • Profile picture of the author timmywf
        Banned
        [DELETED]
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        • Profile picture of the author MoneyMaker Guy
          Originally Posted by timmywf View Post

          If you really want to make some money you need to put aside your personal likes and dislikes for the time being and just do it! Find a popular niche and find a method that has gotten good reviews. Follow that method all the way to the end, and get other ideas as you go along. Be creative and if you work hard it will pay off. I promise.
          I really appreciate your honesty and sound advice. It looks like I have a chance to make something of my experience and find my true passion along the way. At least I will have started which is better where I'm at right now
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  • Profile picture of the author Dave Bean
    I like to go here for a little "niche inspiration".

    Site Build It! Results

    Hundreds of sites about every niche topic you can think of.

    Some of my favorites

    celebrity-sunglasses-finder.com

    babies-and-sign-language.com

    flat-stomach-exercises.com

    all-things-photography.com

    boracay-budgettravel-tips.com

    I hope this helps you find your "niche"

    Dave
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  • Profile picture of the author WAHM2B
    I think a lot of us start out that way - floundering around not really sure what to do next. You've gotten a lot of good advice - hopefully you'll be able to set your goal and get there. It's OK if the first thing you do doesn't work. Just keep trying but give 100%!
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  • Profile picture of the author moniez
    I am not particularly passionate about my niches, but they make me money and ultimately aren't tortuous.

    Every time I get bored or lose motivation, I simply remind myself of working FOR SOMEONE ELSE. This kicks my ars back into gear REAL FAST.

    In fact, once you start making good money in IM, you'll laugh at the idea of ever working for someone else. Literally.
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  • Profile picture of the author JackPowers
    18 months without taking any action?

    Should be more like 18 minutes!
    Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author Lisa Gergets
    I can guarantee you beyond the shadow of a doubt that whether you have passion for your niche or not, once you start seeing money come in you WILL have the motivation and momentum to move forward. So just choose something - just do it - and go with that.
    Signature
    Sign up to be notified when Success on Demand goes live, and receive a FREE mindmap that you can follow to create and launch your OWN IM PRODUCTS!
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  • Profile picture of the author LynnTeschendorf
    Wow.....

    and More WOW....

    For me, just by reading this thread I learned on what to do just from here..

    Very VERY good thread..

    Thanks guys/gals

    Lynn Teschenorf
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
      Originally Posted by LynnTeschendorf View Post

      For me, just by reading this thread I learned on what to do just from here..
      Lynn,

      Don't forget to also read "Lies, Deceptions, Myths and Misconceptions About Internet Marketing".

      At least the first fifteen volumes...:p

      Mark,

      Making money online is the exception to the rule. Many more people try and fail or give up than actually make their time pay for itself. Working 1000 hours and making $500 is less than folks get paid to flip hamburgers here in the States. Many folks never even make $500 in that many total hours online, and I'm including educational time. Add in the money spent on courses, ebooks, bootcamps, et al, and you can see many people end up in the red before they move on to something that suits them better.

      It's a lot like sports...more numbers of people play sports in high school than play college sports. Fewer still make it to the minor leagues, and very few make it to the big leagues. It's a pyramid with a lot of folks at the bottom and fewer, far fewer at the top. Just like everything else in life.

      Regarding focus, there's an old saying that goes like this..."Sometimes you have to be like a postage stamp and just stick to one thing until you get there."

      However, as a human you need to know when you're attached to a junk mail piece that will end up in the circular folder vs a wedding invitation, as an example, proverbially speaking. The fate of those two pieces of mail is dramatically different.

      It's the same with niches. You need to know when it's time to change focus. It takes a niche to make you money, but once you realize the niche holds very little potential for you, take your marketing prowess and move to another niche. That's one of the larger reasons not to fall in love with any given niche. Things happen, dynamics change, the sun sets on a fairly good number of niches over time, and new ones spring up. Learn to be flexible in the niches you consider.

      Bottom line...you're above average at this point due to your attitude. A good many folks have already thrown in the towel when they reach the stage you're at time-wise.

      Keep truckin'...

      ~Bill
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      • Profile picture of the author MoneyMaker Guy
        Originally Posted by Bill Farnham View Post

        Lynn,

        Don't forget to also read "Lies, Deceptions, Myths and Misconceptions About Internet Marketing".

        At least the first fifteen volumes...:p

        Mark,

        Making money online is the exception to the rule. Many more people try and fail or give up than actually make their time pay for itself. Working 1000 hours and making $500 is less than folks get paid to flip hamburgers here in the States. Many folks never even make $500 in that many total hours online, and I'm including educational time. Add in the money spent on courses, ebooks, bootcamps, et al, and you can see many people end up in the red before they move on to something that suits them better.

        It's a lot like sports...more numbers of people play sports in high school than play college sports. Fewer still make it to the minor leagues, and very few make it to the big leagues. It's a pyramid with a lot of folks at the bottom and fewer, far fewer at the top. Just like everything else in life.

        Regarding focus, there's an old saying that goes like this..."Sometimes you have to be like a postage stamp and just stick to one thing until you get there."

        However, as a human you need to know when you're attached to a junk mail piece that will end up in the circular folder vs a wedding invitation, as an example, proverbially speaking. The fate of those two pieces of mail is dramatically different.

        It's the same with niches. You need to know when it's time to change focus. It takes a niche to make you money, but once you realize the niche holds very little potential for you, take your marketing prowess and move to another niche. That's one of the larger reasons not to fall in love with any given niche. Things happen, dynamics change, the sun sets on a fairly good number of niches over time, and new ones spring up. Learn to be flexible in the niches you consider.

        Bottom line...you're above average at this point due to your attitude. A good many folks have already thrown in the towel when they reach the stage you're at time-wise.

        Keep truckin'...

        ~Bill
        Thanks for this enlightening info Bill. Giving up is not part of my genetic make up. I just need to try and be less complicated within my mind and simply get something in front of people from the get go.

        Mark Hughes
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  • Profile picture of the author cma01
    avenuegirl gave some good advice. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have if you don't have a plan.

    Take what you've learned and break it down in a series of steps. List everything you need to do from keyword research, to site set up, to article creation, to social network integration, to promotion, to tracking.

    I have one Excel file that is for niche tracking. Each site has a tab with a list of tasks, and a time estimate for each. Then I put down the date and the actual time taken for each.

    I use Klok as a time tracker, and I created a project template for with all of the tasks. I'm still tweaking that as far as order goes.

    Have a plan and then go down the list.
    Signature
    "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
    ~ Plato
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    • Profile picture of the author MoneyMaker Guy
      Originally Posted by cma01 View Post

      avenuegirl gave some good advice. It doesn't matter how much knowledge you have if you don't have a plan.

      Take what you've learned and break it down in a series of steps. List everything you need to do from keyword research, to site set up, to article creation, to social network integration, to promotion, to tracking.

      I have one Excel file that is for niche tracking. Each site has a tab with a list of tasks, and a time estimate for each. Then I put down the date and the actual time taken for each.

      I use Klok as a time tracker, and I created a project template for with all of the tasks. I'm still tweaking that as far as order goes.

      Have a plan and then go down the list.
      Many Thanks for nailing this dilemna for me. It is absolutely true I have not even begun to make a list of where I want to be or a simple spreadsheet with little projects to be done to reach my end goal. Simplicity seems to be shining through in this thread the more the comments come in
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      • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
        I agree that taking action right now is a bad idea. A lot is made about taking action on this forum -- and rightly so. Too many people waste a lot of time when they should be taking action. But if you don't know what you want to do or what you have a passion for, then you need to focus on that first. When you've decided/discovered your passion, THEN take action.

        First, you DO have to have a plan. Action without a plan will quickly lead to frustration because without a plan, you don't know what your goal is and what steps you need to take.

        I think it's hugely important to learn as much as you can about IM. It's not particularly hard, but there IS a steep learning curve. Once you've been researching it and have done some things, you'll know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Then, when you discover your passion, you'll know what to outsource.

        Sometimes, we in IM get so mired in it that we can't see the forest for the trees. Which is why I told you to disappear from the WF for a while and put your marketing courses on a shelf. Get back out in the real world and live a little. Forget about IM and business for a while and your subconscious will deliver the answer to you when you're not looking.

        Everyone's journey is different and believe me, it's NOT a straight, linear line! It's usually VERY convoluted and a lot of times you feel like you're going in circles.

        For me, I love, love LOVE Internet marketing. However, I feel like a lot of it is very incestuous; people making money online by telling others how to make money online. I HATE that and have absolutely no respect for it. And unfortunately, I feel that this is the case with a lot of the celebrated IM gurus here. (I won't name names.)

        Another problem (aside from outright scams) is people selling IM products and services without giving good value. It might not be an outright scam per se, but that PDF report you just bought is expensive compared to the value being delivered. We've ALL experienced that: skimpy content and high prices.

        There are a lot of ways to make money online:

        1. You can sell a product or service you have a passion for online. (Start with the product or service you like and THEN look for ways to market it online.)

        2. You can become an affiliate and base your entire business on the affiliate model. (Here, you're starting with the model.)

        3. You can go the offline gold route. You love IM just for the sake of IM and so you choose IM period. Then you take it other businesses and help them increase THEIR business through IM.

        4. You can start with a target market you like or are familiar with and then provide products/services that they need -- online. (Here, you start with the WHO, then move to the product or service and THEN move to the online piece of it.)

        It's NOT as easy as it looks to figure out how YOU to make money online. Or...
        You choose what product or service you want to sell, then you choose your business model:

        1. Products or services?
        2. Become an affiliate?
        3. Create a a membership-based business?
        4. Etc.

        Then you have to choose your target market. Etc.

        The list is just endless. But until you know the answers to these questions, you're just spinning your wheels.

        I DO sympathize with you. I've been there -- and WAS there for a long time. I started out as a copywriter, wrote for some clients, made some money but quickly decided that the service-based business model was NOT for me. I'm confident in my copywriting skills (and got some GREAT testimonials), but the fees-for-service model left something to be desired for me.

        Information marketing is a fantastic business model and tremendous opportunity. I'm not really quite sure how to describe it, but I still felt that creating information products just to sell them on ClickBank thinking small and playing small.

        I love IM and after all of the discussions on the offline gold model, decided that THAT was for me. I love it and am very comfortable with that type of business. Then I had to decide who my target market was and what my business model was. It's been a long process, but all of the pieces have FINALLY fallen into place for me and right now, I'm busy doing what I need to do to get ready to launch my new company.

        I'm SOOO excited about it! The best part is that I FINALLY have focus and direction. That's a huge piece. It's hard to know what to do or make progress if you don't have direction and focus. Now that I know what I want to do, WHO my target market is, and what my business model is, I know exactly what steps to take.

        I hope this has helped in some way and I really do wish you the best in figuring it out.

        Michelle
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        "You can't market here. This is a marketing discussion forum!"
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        • Profile picture of the author MoneyMaker Guy
          Originally Posted by Nightengale View Post

          I agree that taking action right now is a bad idea. A lot is made about taking action on this forum -- and rightly so. Too many people waste a lot of time when they should be taking action. But if you don't know what you want to do or what you have a passion for, then you need to focus on that first. When you've decided/discovered your passion, THEN take action.

          First, you DO have to have a plan. Action without a plan will quickly lead to frustration because without a plan, you don't know what your goal is and what steps you need to take.

          I think it's hugely important to learn as much as you can about IM. It's not particularly hard, but there IS a steep learning curve. Once you've been researching it and have done some things, you'll know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Then, when you discover your passion, you'll know what to outsource.

          Sometimes, we in IM get so mired in it that we can't see the forest for the trees. Which is why I told you to disappear from the WF for a while and put your marketing courses on a shelf. Get back out in the real world and live a little. Forget about IM and business for a while and your subconscious will deliver the answer to you when you're not looking.

          Everyone's journey is different and believe me, it's NOT a straight, linear line! It's usually VERY convoluted and a lot of times you feel like you're going in circles.

          For me, I love, love LOVE Internet marketing. However, I feel like a lot of it is very incestuous; people making money online by telling others how to make money online. I HATE that and have absolutely no respect for it. And unfortunately, I feel that this is the case with a lot of the celebrated IM gurus here. (I won't name names.)

          Another problem (aside from outright scams) is people selling IM products and services without giving good value. It might not be an outright scam per se, but that PDF report you just bought is expensive compared to the value being delivered. We've ALL experienced that: skimpy content and high prices.

          There are a lot of ways to make money online:

          1. You can sell a product or service you have a passion for online. (Start with the product or service you like and THEN look for ways to market it online.)

          2. You can become an affiliate and base your entire business on the affiliate model. (Here, you're starting with the model.)

          3. You can go the offline gold route. You love IM just for the sake of IM and so you choose IM period. Then you take it other businesses and help them increase THEIR business through IM.

          4. You can start with a target market you like or are familiar with and then provide products/services that they need -- online. (Here, you start with the WHO, then move to the product or service and THEN move to the online piece of it.)

          It's NOT as easy as it looks to figure out how YOU to make money online. Or...
          You choose what product or service you want to sell, then you choose your business model:

          1. Products or services?
          2. Become an affiliate?
          3. Create a a membership-based business?
          4. Etc.

          Then you have to choose your target market. Etc.

          The list is just endless. But until you know the answers to these questions, you're just spinning your wheels.

          I DO sympathize with you. I've been there -- and WAS there for a long time. I started out as a copywriter, wrote for some clients, made some money but quickly decided that the service-based business model was NOT for me. I'm confident in my copywriting skills (and got some GREAT testimonials), but the fees-for-service model left something to be desired for me.

          Information marketing is a fantastic business model and tremendous opportunity. I'm not really quite sure how to describe it, but I still felt that creating information products just to sell them on ClickBank thinking small and playing small.

          I love IM and after all of the discussions on the offline gold model, decided that THAT was for me. I love it and am very comfortable with that type of business. Then I had to decide who my target market was and what my business model was. It's been a long process, but all of the pieces have FINALLY fallen into place for me and right now, I'm busy doing what I need to do to get ready to launch my new company.

          I'm SOOO excited about it! The best part is that I FINALLY have focus and direction. That's a huge piece. It's hard to know what to do or make progress if you don't have direction and focus. Now that I know what I want to do, WHO my target market is, and what my business model is, I know exactly what steps to take.

          I hope this has helped in some way and I really do wish you the best in figuring it out.

          Michelle
          Thanks Michelle. This is some great advice to at least start thinking about my online business in a logical step by step way.

          I appreciate your openess

          Regards

          Mark
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          • Profile picture of the author Chris Koltai
            If I'm reading your problem correctly, I see 2 choices here.

            You can keep trying to figure out what you're passionate about, and start working when you find it.

            OR

            You can get passionate about learning something new, put your nose to the grindstone, do your research, crank out a niche site, and get into the boring but necessary task of building backlinks.

            One earns you money, the other doesn't. One gives you forward momentum, the other keeps you in stasis. Passion about your niche helps, but the vast majority of successful IMers that I've come across got there because of a solid work ethic and intelligent planning. The bonus is that a lot of them have stumbled across their passion along the way.

            Just in the off chance that I've misinterpreted the posts thus far and you already have a passion but just aren't sure how to monetize it... Well, that's easy. Put up a blog on blogspot and post daily. It's not hard to come up with 200-300 words per day if you're genuinely passionate about something. Slap some adsense up there (read the TOS, you don't want to get banned) and call it a day. Eventually, you'll see a click or two. There you go, you've made money with your passion, now you just need to figure out how to take it up a notch.

            Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Terry Hatfield
    My advice would be to get your first niche site up and start developing your internet marketing skills.

    You need to practice marketing so when you do find your passion you can start making money.

    But waiting to find your passion is an excuse.

    Just put up one little site and start learning to get traffic and conversions. One little niche site is nothing, it certainly isn't a life commitment.

    Just do it.

    Best of luck,

    Terry
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  • Profile picture of the author jaiganeshv
    I know I'm weird in this post, but i still want to go with this..
    Do not think about your work, ambition or passion on Sunday, Sunday is sick and it gives you a morbid fear about something that affects your state.
    I experience this every sunday mostly on a sunday evening for sure.
    Typically i plan for few works to be completed on a sunday. But i do nothing but get these kind of thought (-ve thoughts) but i see i get a positive flow of energy to work on all weekdays..

    I'm writing this in a fairly different angle..

    all the best to you in whatefer you do.

    Thank you.
    Jai
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    • Profile picture of the author Nail Yener
      If you have not followed to the end of any ebooks, threads or methods yet, I suggest start immediately with one of them, the one which most applies to you. If you can start something, then it will get bigger in time and if you start getting return out of it you will have the motivation to work more on it and to get it bigger.

      Not long ago I was in the same situation that you are in now and I was reading all the ebooks I found, all the forums and blogs related to making money online. I spent about 1 year on this stuff without taking any significant action. I kept looking for the perfect method, and while doing so I left behind some very good methods.

      Finally, the moment that I was fully loaded with info but no actions, no experience and no money, I told myself:

      "If you go like this you will reach nowhere and in 6 months time you will be at the same position; however, if you stick to one thing and no matter how imperfect it is, if you build on it regularly, you can make it work. ( no matter what it is: clickbank, amazon, ebay, adsense, CPA, article marketing, video marketing, selling PLR, freelancing,...)"

      And that was the turning point of my journey where I started to take considerable action on the things that I postponed previously.

      The whole game is about creating content and getting traffic to it. And you can do these in thousands of ways. Do not try to find all of them, just work on the ones you already found and try to improve them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Darni
    Hi,Mark

    You read too much and do too little. Take action,man. I've been doing affiliate marketing for several months and I've made a little money. Not too much, but at least I've made money. I believe that every one who take action in IM will make money. And who stick with their plan will make big money. Those who provide good value to others will make $$$$$$$$.

    Just use what you know now and implement them. As a beginner, you don't need to know too much. When I get started, I promoted Clickbank products. I tried many products untill I find one which converts very well. And this product still make me money. I got up this morning, check out my Clickbank account and found that I had a sale of this product. And it is from the article which I submitted to Ezinearticles many days before. And I had no knowledge to this niche before, all the knowledge I get is from Google.

    Up to now, I mainly use article marketing. I may try other methods when I've made enough money. But as a newbie, you don't need to spend money to make money. You just need a little knowledge and action.

    Best Regards,

    Darni
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  • Profile picture of the author regska
    Originally Posted by MoneyMaker Guy View Post

    Hi Fellow Forum Buddies,

    This is a my first thread on the Warrior Forum and wanted to ask for some much needed advice on the subject of getting started with making money online.

    I am not new to the subject of internet marketing and have spent the last 18 months reading, learning and buying various courses as well as attending many seminars. I know what a squeeze page is, an OTO, Sales landing page, marketing funnel is.....you get the picture.

    My problem, which is getting me really frustrated is finding a niche where I have either experience in or a passion for. I have racked my brain and it seems that I am experiencing a mind numbing case of "writers block" because no matter what idea I think about, nothing seems to float my boat.

    Is this maybe because I feel overloaded with info? Maybe! Or is it simply that I feel a little overwhelmed by where to really start despite my knowledge? Maybe!

    Despite acquiring great knowledge on Internet marketing in general, I have never got to the stage of following through with any course until the end.

    The question I ask is this just me, or loads of people experiencing this same dilemna? If so how the hell do I get over it and eventually start reaping the $$$ from my knowledge. Is it a psychological or physical block that is stopping me from succeeding?

    Or is this simply the end of my Internet Marketing dream and face facts and move on with my life?

    Your help would be really awesome but please don't beat me up too much:p

    Many Thanks

    Mark Hughes
    Hey, Never ever give up on your dreams. Failure is not the end, it's just the beginning. You will fail a lot more times, but suck it up coz it will make you stronger.

    I can't provdie an exact advice, because you don't even know what niche you're interested in. But I can only say one thing, find your niche first, and then we can talk and make an action plan on your niche and how to profit from your niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mokai
    Start with a niche that you love and then figure out how to monetize it instead of starting for the money, much easier to stay motivated and a better feeling once you accomplish a goal
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  • Profile picture of the author johnben1444
    Nice piece for the money maker guy. If you think you are over choked with information like you said, try to take some days/weeks off.

    What you are looking for will come in the least expected way. It happens that way.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    You don't need to be passionate about a niche. You need to stop buying products and follow through on some of the ones you have already purchased. You aren't going to make any money sitting around reading ebooks. You make money by implementing what you read.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan2525
    "My problem, which is...........Despite acquiring great knowledge on Internet marketing in general, I have never got to the stage of following through with any course until the end."

    I think the problem lies there. If you want to start any business you are going to have to be committed and push through the hard times.

    If you have never finished ANY course there is a serious lack of commitment. You have to find your WHY"S.

    Why are you doing this?
    What are your goals for your life?
    What is it going to be like if you go back and settle to the 9-5?

    Despite what people tell you there is hard work to be put in to learn the skills. Getting a good mentor will speed things up.

    However you must want to do this....it all starts with Mindset

    Hope I have not been to hard
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  • Profile picture of the author adesbarats
    You have to believe......believe in yourself and believe in your choice of income generation model.

    I am fairly new to IM but I have been around in the real world awhile so heed this....

    There are many ways to skin a cat just as there are many ways to make money online....

    Pick one of those ways and RUN WITH IT......

    Do not allow yourself to get distracted by the next BIG offer...

    Do not allow that little voice called "negativity" to creep into your head and say stuff like - "this will never work dude, nobody will ever buy that, your wasting your time, etc, etc"

    Do not allow your "friends" and family to shoot down your dreams....if your friends are not supportive, go find new friends....if your family is not supportive sit down with them and talk it over, get them onside.....

    If you believe in yourself, believe in your system, keep out the distractions and negative thoughts / influences and go for it I do not believe you can fail....
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    • Profile picture of the author EA
      I used to suck but not anymore. I'm implementing new positive thoughts and working on my mindset and from now on I need to work on it daily.

      I make money online but still have problem with inaction. I'm working on it.

      You say its frustrating to pick a niche where you have experience or niche you love this is not the right mindset. You have to do whatever it takes to make this work, there are no excuses, the best way to get over writing block is to practice.. It's the only way and when you do that it becomes easier. To kill writing block just write random letters and then start on your article or practice and re-write other articles. (But do not steal.)

      But you have to work on your mindset. Replace negativity and I can't or I have a writing block with positivity, I have read a lot but never implement it the way I should have. But now I'm working on my mindset and I know it takes time but the beginning is to focus and take small baby steps.

      I have experience this same dilemma and I just newly discovered it's the mindset that has been stopping me. You can read the post which started it all. It's very personal and I'm so grateful for all the comments and advice and the best part about it there are golden nuggets hidden there from all kinds of people who actually do care, people with heart and a good soul.

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-thoughts.html

      Start thinking more I CAN and work on your mindset daily. That's what I'm doing. I wish you the best and if you believe enough and are willing to make this work this is not the end of your Internet marketing dream..

      Hope this helps.
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