The Decision to Succeed

10 replies
Over the past couple of days, I have been running a personal development workshop and during the coffee break on one of the days, one of the delegates asked me about my site, how much I make and how I am doing it.

I showed him some of my accounts and you could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. His jaw dropped and he wanted to know what I was doing to get those results. We had quite a decent chat over coffee and I gave him a few pointers - including a recommendation to join the Warrior Forum.

At lunchtime, the discussion continued and I told him that I had made exactly $29 in my first year. I also told him that it was the reaction to that kind of result that separates the winners from the losers in internet marketing.

You see, many people start out, full of hope, imagination and energy. They say that they are determined to succeed; they say they are prepared to do 'whatever it takes'. But the fact is that, for the most part, they are not.

What happens after one whole year of blogging, writing guest posts, making videos, writing articles, writing newsletters and many other things that consume a considerable amount of time? I'll tell you: people look at their earnings - their apparent reward for all that hard work ... in my case $29. And that's when the real decision is made.

It is in that moment that they decide whether they are going to win or lose. Because it is easy to say you are determined; it is easy to say you are prepared to do 'whatever it takes'; it is easy to be optimistic at the beginning. It is not easy to follow through when you get such discouraging results.

But that's what separates the winners from the losers.

The winners look at that $29 and start to figure out how they can multiply their traffic by a factor of ten or improve their conversions by a factor of ten. They start testing their offers, their prices, their processes, and they get better.

Successful marketers come to realise that internet marketing is not like having a job. You don't get paid for your time; you get paid for the application of your grey matter.

When, after one whole year of solid effort, after which you have earned a very small sum that is completely disproportionate to the amount of effort you put in, when you can demonstrate persistence in that situation, you have made the decision to succeed.
#decision #succees
  • Profile picture of the author kolled
    Very well said. When starting IM, tying one's progress to the amount of money paid can be very discouraging. Few people are able to start and begin making decent returns for the time and energy they've put in.

    Like you've said, making a decision to keep plugging away despite the seemingly little progress takes lots of courage and belief in oneself.

    Those who are persistent have a better chance of becoming successful even if the time taken is longer than they'd have wanted.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Ken Russell
    Originally Posted by Will Edwards View Post

    You see, many people start out, full of hope, imagination and energy. They say that they are determined to succeed; they say they are prepared to do 'whatever it takes'. But the fact is that, for the most part, they are not.
    I think everybody starts off like that. Full of hope, imagination, energy.. it brings back memories. I was ready to take on the world.. but now that I look back.. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew is that I would make it. I had no idea how. But I knew if I put all of whatever is in me into it.. I'd see that first dollar. Eventually I did make that dollar, then that turned into a hundred dollars.. then a thousand.. and so on.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      Excellent post Will, and so true!

      I have also seen beginners land a large sum of money right at the beginning of their journey but when the next success doesn't happen in a short amount of time, they get disillusioned and eventually throw in the towel.

      You hit the nail on the head when you say it is persistence when things appear sour and grim that separates the winners and losers in the success arena.

      Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Ten
    Taking personal responsibility for succeeding is so important!
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  • Profile picture of the author KevinDahlberg
    Thought provoking post. I made the decision to succeed lately as well. I haven't made any money yet. There is a part of me, though, that just knows that if I keep at it then I'll be able to quit my job and work for myself.

    I would describe that "decision" as a tipping point. I made up my mind that I would do anything it took and make any sacrifice to get out of my current situation.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sagar Mehta
    Originally Posted by Will Edwards View Post

    You don't get paid for your time; you get paid for the application of your grey matter.
    I like how you put that, Will.

    That is a concept that's very hard for a lot of a people to grasp. I know people who spend time on their niche blog, researching content and posting new posts every week and then wondering why their paycheck hadn't arrived yet.

    Someone else is setting up a minisite with a salesletter and wondering when the cash register is gonna go ka-ching "on it's own".

    Most of them give up.

    What would have been better is if they would've learned how to create that content, outsource that part, and move on to increasing their traffic and conversions.

    Business common sense - a rare commodity.
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  • Profile picture of the author mugwande
    Its always good to do something when you know why you do it, and always when you bare in minds that success does not come chip then you are most likely to succeed to matter what. These days thing are very simple because you just sit on your computer and start marketing your products. Though am still new in this field, but i know that each day i press the buttons it makes a difference.

    Every time you can give up on everything but that does not make you a winner but looser i wonder if that was a nick name how many would like to be called losers!!
    Quitters are quitters and will always be but if you don't quit then why not to be a winner?
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  • Profile picture of the author wil4dgc
    I needed to hear something like this. You made far less than I have and I was frustrated, thanks, for making feel better lol. All in all, this is truly inspiring. I have decided to stick to it and get it working.

    Thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author mpollak450
      What's really funny about this is that most people look at their initial failure as the sign they should quit. The sad part is that the measly results are not a sign to quit, but a sign to take inventory. I was just reading last night about so many successful people who started just like that, measly in the beginning. The big difference between them and those who don't create success is the decision at that point to change and to do what ever it takes to make their dreams a reality. Truth is, we all have the same potential, some people just accept it and run with it. What's your choice gonna be? Me, I'm running with it!
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  • Profile picture of the author Mateenyall
    I made like $2 for my first sale for 20-40 hours of work. Most people were like "is that it?" I was over the Moon!

    There really is a complete disconnect with the mindset of an entrepreneur and the mindset of the average person who decides to comply with what's given to him.

    Great post man!
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