Questions About Getting Started - SEO, Article Writing etc

Warriors, I was reading this forum for few months now... This is my first post... (I've just signed up!)

I feel like I've got everything set and I'm ready to get started. The problem is that I just don't know how to take this from an idea to a reality. I don't know if it is just nerves that keep me from really getting started and if I'm just scared of failure. I guess I could use some pointers and some tips and tricks for getting started in internet marketing.

I've read nearly everything that I can and I have a pretty good idea of what I should be doing with SEO and article writing etc. I just know that things are much more difficult when you actually put them into practice than they are when you are just reading about them.

How did you get your start?
What were your first few days, weeks, and months like?
Did you focus strictly on article writing etc., or did you branch out into different areas?

I know that there is a formula to this stuff and I could find great success with that formula. I guess I'm just nervous that regardless of all the research I've done and all of the other stuff that I've worked on, I'm still not going to succeed simply by focusing on SEO, media buy, article writing etc. Maybe there is something different that you have tried that would take my business from humble beginnings to something great.

I understand that I won't be making a lot of money when I first start out, but it would be nice to not feel like a complete failure. Are there any tips or tricks that will help someone starting out in this business to succeed?

I think that if we collected them in this forum, it won't just be helpful to me but to everyone who is just starting out and is nervous about the way that things are going to go in reality vs. how they go in the books.