What's Stopping You, From Being More Successful Online ...

Well, what I feel is not only stopping me, but utterly destroying my (so far mediocre ) efforts is: Internet Distractions.

I don't use Facebook, the greatest time-waster of all times. But even then I find myself spending the bulk of my day watching Youtube videos, looking pictures at Deviantart, looking for Magic The Gathering cards in the Gatherer... overall doing stuff that doesn't help me in IM. And each day I look back... and think "Man, how much could I've done today if I didn't wasted my time doing X, Y and Z?"

If I had such a strong will to not engage in these distractions until I "break free"... I could be advancing faster at least... but the instant gratification that Internet Entertainment provides is a powerful beast; as powerful as the pleasure that alcohol and cigarettes provide, I believe.

Does anybody else struggle with Internet Entertainment or is it just me??

My last corporate job trained me in exactly what to do and in what order to do it. I was in an office and held accountable by a boss. Ultimately, that job transitioned to a telecommuting job, but I still knew what to do, when to do it and was accountable to a boss.

Then, I bought a brick and mortar business that required me to work about 1/2 time at the facility and 1/2 time from home doing the behind the scenes things that business ownership required (accounting, billings, etc.). The business was a going concern when I bought it, so I learned, basically, what to do and when to do it. I was then accountable to my family, me, my employees and my customers.

We sold that business and I opened my own business doing the same work I had done as a telecommuter for my corporate job. I knew what to do, when to do it and I had experience being accountable to my family, me and my customers (no employees in this biz). By the first month, I was earning a comparable income to what I had been earning in the corporate job, which was more than we had been making in the brick and mortar biz.

In those jobs and businesses, I knew what needed to be done and how and when to do it.

Now that I am working online in IM, I find that I DON'T know what to do or when to do it. I haven't built a list, yet, so I don't have customers to be accountable to. My wife, God bless her, has been INCREDIBLY patient with my lack of significant income, so far. (I'm surprised she hasn't said, "You're fired! Go get a JOB!")

I have six (seven if you include silly stuff like Turk) different IM things started or starting that are up on my white board with (what I think are) next steps for each of them. But, I'm so insecure on those steps and I don't have anyone to assure me or guide me. It all seems so...I don't know...like I've been blindfolded, spun around and handed the tail to pin on the donkey in a really large, silent room without a clue where the walls are, much less the donkey! LOL! (Hmmm, never really described it that way before. I hope you're familiar with the kid's game!)

So, I guess that for me, it's a huge matter of confidence - or lack thereof - in knowing what to do, when to do it and that it really will work.