Success, Money, and Business

Photo Courtesy of Katie@!

Talent? Luck? Content?

Just what does it take to become a successful blogger?

When I started blogging, I set the lofty goal of receiving 1,000 unique visitors per day. I had no idea what I needed to do as I was receiving less than 50 unique visitors per day.

I would stay up all night writing content and I would stay up all day reading websites on how to get people to read my blog.

Eventually, I achieved my goal, but what allowed me to do it?

Great Content?

Professional bloggers like Darren Rowse, Shoemoney, and John Chow regularly recite “great content” as the best way to become a successful blogger.

But was it really my content? Probably not as I was a mediocre writer.

Back then, my articles were unoriginal and boring. I actually had no idea why anyone would read my writing.

Social Networking?

Other experts like Neil Patel claim social networking is the key to becoming a successful blogger.

However, I didn’t regularly build a social networking profile. As a matter of fact,  I disliked both Digg and Del.icio.us.

And now, you are still wondering what allowed me to achieve my goal and I am going to tell you.

Discontent

As Thomas Edison once said, “Discontent is the first necessity of progress” and that is what allowed me to achieve my goal.

I was so discontent with my present situation (<50 unique visitors per day) I was unable to think of anything other than achieving my goal.

More specifically, every single day I would work with unending energy and concentration on achieving my goal and eventually I did.

I may not have done it in the most efficient manner, but I accomplished what I wanted to do and discontent allowed me to do it.

Are You Discontent?

Are you discontent with your present situation? Well, it’s time to use that discontent constructively and let it fuel your desire to becoming successful.

Bonus Tip

With discontent being the main trait of a successful blogger, comfort is the main trait of an unsuccessful blogger. As soon as you get comfortable with how you are doing, the chances of remaining successful decreases.

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Photo courtesy of Joi

But wait, wasn’t it: “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick?”

Not anymore.

Teddy Roosevelt gave the greatest advice of the 20th century when he said his famous quote, but times have changed. Big sticks aren’t so big when you can’t control them. Big sticks aren’t so big when you can’t carry them.

Now, it’s not about how big your stick is but how well you manage it.

But, how can you start swinging a steady stick?

Confidence

When I started playing Texas Holdem poker, one of my biggest flaws was my inability to make a confident bluff. I would often bluff a hand by bringing my poker chips to the center and pulling it back at the last minute. I would rethink my decision and often make the bluff. Unfortunately, my pullback already told my opponent where I stood and he would call me out on it.

To swing a steady stick, you need to have confidence because you can’t complete a swing if you pull it back half-way through.

Here are a few things to think about while building confidence

• Research – Confident decisions require research
• Action – Confident decisions require you to act on research
• Pursue – Confident decisions require you to continue to act on research

Conviction

Have you ever started a sentence with “I think,” “In my opinion,” or “It is my understanding?”

Probably. I know I have.

Well, they are the three worst ways to start a sentence in business. They immediately take away from the credibility of what follows.

I remember when a co-worker asked me how the sales were doing in a specific region. I said, “I think they’re XXX.” His response was, “Well, let’s not think about it and be sure of it.”

In reality, I knew the sales were “XXX,” but I didn’t have the conviction to follow through with my thought.

As Denis Waitley once said, “You must stick to your conviction, but be ready to abandon your assumptions” and he was absolutely right. You can’t mistake your assumptions for conviction, but you should never make a conviction sound like an assumption.

Here are some things to think about while trying to develop your conviction:

• No Response – Sometimes “I don’t know” is better than “I think.”
• The Answer – If you know something, stand up and take accountability

Perseverance.

I started creating websites to earn money on the internet in 2005. Yet, if you read my about page, you may notice that I only have been earning a living off of the internet for 2 years.

The math doesn’t add up because my first year was a complete monetary failure. I created more than 5 websites and earned around 25 dollars on Adsense cumulatively.

I refused to give up and continued creating websites, researching topics, and establishing relationships. The result… a five figure yearly income in 2006, and a six figure yearly income in 2007.

Remember, there are people who never lose, but let me reassure you, there aren’t people who always win.

Do you want to know the secret on how to become the person who never loses? It’s easy. Keep on losing until you win and then talk about the win.

It seems trivial, but remember, all you need to do is win once to become a winner.

Here are some things to think about while developing perseverance:

• Persistence – Fail often, fail regularly, and continue to fail until you succeed once.
• Leverage – Succeed once and leverage it regularly

The Bottom Line

With Confidence, Conviction, and Perserverence, you will not only be able to have the courage to swing a steady stick, you will be able to follow through with it and influence other people to do the same.

Do you have any examples where any of the above three things influenced your decision making process?

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Photo courtesy of SuperFantastic

Have you ever felt like you are average?

You drudge through work with every ounce of enthusiasm and effort you can muster, but you feel like you have reached your limit. You just can’t seem to create something incredible.

You go over your work and think about what went wrong. You slaved for days and sometimes weeks, but you still don’t have a clue.

It’s almost like you didn’t even try.

Meanwhile, other co-workers seemingly breeze by without a glitch. You feel they deliver mind-blowing presentations, create the best strategic plans, and discover new ways to bring money into the company.

How come I can’t do it? Am I able to feel incredible about my work?

Absolutely and I am going to show you how by going over the checks and balances of an incredible mindset.

1. Perception Is Everything

Your favorite baseball player is up at bat. The ball comes whizzing through the strike zone and he hits. The bat shatters and the ball goes flying over the center wall.

You are absolutely ecstatic and happy, but another guy, in another seat, watched the same events and was devastated. His bat wasn’t unbreakable after all.

Executive Branch: Incredible minds know that incredible is how you perceive specific events

2. Your Definition Matters

Just imagine what an incredible person looks like. Is he fit? Does he have a lot of money? Does he volunteer at a hospital for 10 hours a week?

Well, what did you come up with? I am willing to bet it is completely different from your friends and family because everyone defines incredible differently.

You may feel average with B+ grades, but to a child who can’t afford school, he thinks it’s incredible that you are in school.

Judicial Branch: Incredible minds understand that everyone defines incredible differently

3. Timing is Important

Timing is important. Timing. is. important.

Its not what you do or how you do it, but when you do it. Creating a piece of incredible work means nothing if it was due last month.

When I first started earning money on the internet, I broke a news story and received a large spike in traffic. My server was down for nearly 36 hours of 72 hours and I still received over 1,000,000 readers. A week later, I upgraded my server. Unfortunately, I already missed 36 hours of traffic.

Legislative Branch: Incredible people know that they need to do the right things at the right time.

The Bottom Line

Doing incredible things is not determined by what you do or how you do it, but how you feel about the result. Remember these three branches, and your only choice left is incredible.

Your Thoughts?

Do you agree with my breakdown? If not, tell me how you would break it down instead.

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