By This is a guest post by Andrew Rondeau. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
As many of you know, this time last year I gave up the 9-5 corporate world and started working full time online. It was a move I had been planning for the last 3 years and it came to fruition a year ago.
But the bad news is… over the last year while working from home, I’ve added approx 14kg in weight. I’ve been fairly active with my ballroom and Latin dancing, playing badminton and my daily walks. But it wasn’t enough to burn off all the calories from the daily chocolate biscuits!
This year, I decided to do something about my weight problem and have joined a gym (again!).
This time it is different, though. For one, I have paid the year’s membership in full and I cannot get my money back. Two, I am focused to lose some weight no matter what. And three, I have a personal adviser/trainer.
I met with the personal trainer in the first week of January, and she showed me exactly what to do and how to do it. Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve been in the gym at 6.30am, 3 days a week.
I thought I’d be alone at that time.
I’m not.
There are about 50 others all exercising. I’m sure many are on their New Years Resolutions and some will drop out. I won’t. I’m determined.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about my weight loss plan and gym work and how they can actually be applied to a blogging business.
Here are my thoughts:
1. It Takes Time And Effort To Lose Weight and To Build A Blogging Business
To see any significant weight loss, I know I am going to have to work hard, get advice and have a plan I can follow. I’ve been going to the gym 3 times a week for the past 2 weeks and so far, I’ve lost 2kg, so it’s working.
Building your own successful blogging business is a huge challenge.
The only way for you to be successful is to work hard (don’t believe the hype that running a blogging business it’s easy, it’s not). Get advice from a small number of people who have been successful. Write yourself a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly plan.
2. There Is Far Too Much Information Available
Over the years, I’ve always struggled with my weight – mainly because I love cakes, biscuits and puddings or should I just say “food in general”!
Just go to your local bookstore or library and you will see hundreds of resources on the subject of weight loss and healthy eating.
I’ve purchased many of them. Different products like “Eat for your blood type”, “Body For Life”, and “Healthy Eating” plus loads of home training equipment. You can invest thousands and get nowhere.
It’s so overwhelming.
Plus many contradict each other in what is the best way to lose weight and eat right.
This year, I finally said to myself, “I’m going to get someone to help me. I’m going to listen to one person and follow their advice.”
I know it’s early stages but using the plan given to me along with my hard work and commitment, things are looking good and I am making good progress.
With Blogging and Internet Marketing, there are just as many products and resources available to choose from. It’s easy to be overwhelmed and confused.
I recently completed some research on “How many Internet related products people had purchased” and the results were staggering.
You may not believe the results but 32% of those who responded had purchased over 20 ‘make money on the Internet’ type products.
That’s almost 1 in 3 had purchased over 20 products.
One guy actually said, “I ticked the more than 20 box in the vote, only because there isn’t one that says more than 50!”
I’m sure he’s not alone.
I’ve purchased numerous Internet related products as well. Some great, some good, some rubbish.
But the biggest turning point for me was…
What I did for my Internet Marketing business was find an Internet mentor and join their monthly mentoring club. That’s what works for me and it may work for you. Find a blogging course or mentor or both and follow their plan.
3. Good Advice Is Useless Without A Plan
All the resources I’ve purchased to try and lose some weight have never helped me. Why? Because I never took the advice and acted upon it. I often didn’t implement the advice.
Hence why I’ve now paid up front for the gym membership and got a personal trainer. She worked with me to create a personal plan and now provides advice as I go.
I know exactly what I am going to do each day I enter that gym door. It’s planned out. I know what I am doing today, next week and next month. And she’s there for any advice I need.
It’s the same with Internet related products.
I bet you have purchased some and they just sit on the shelf collecting dust or clogging up your PC disc space.
You have to take the advice and implement it. I know that is hard when you have no plan to follow or no one to ask but you do have to take action.
You have to have a plan. A daily plan. A weekly plan. A monthly and an overall yearly plan of what you want to achieve for your Internet business.
Many people start and quit. I don’t know the exact numbers but something like 95% of all blogs started are closed down within 3 months.
But the combination of great advice, hard work and an implementation plan can produce big rewards.
4. The Hardest Part Is Not Quitting
Back in the year 2023, I ran a local half-marathon. Not very fast, but I completed it. It was something like 1 hour 50 minutes but I have the medal and the newspaper cutting proving I completed it.
It was the furthest I had ever run. I trained for it. Up and down the hills. Through the countryside. Through rain and strong hot sun.
And, yes there were days when I didn’t want to train. I wanted to quit. There were days my feet were sore and I wanted to quit. There were days when my muscles ached and I wanted to quit.
But I didn’t. I was determined to do it.
And the same goes for my Internet business and perhaps you have thought about quitting sometimes, as well.
When I first started out, I thought I was going to become a millionaire overnight. The adverts promised it! I quickly created my first product, thought I would retire in a few weeks, sipping champagne while overlooking the harbour from my brand new apartment in the South of France.
Of course, it was the complete opposite. I sold very few. I wanted to give up. I nearly did. I was so disappointed. So angry. All that hard work and that’s when I changed my mind and found a mentor. He told me the truth. He managed my expectations. He told me it would take 6 months before you will see any income. He was right.
I know many people (not just those starting out) struggle to get their Internet business to make some income. I received an email yesterday and she said, “I’ve been on the Internet trying to make a living now for nearly 5 years”
5 years!
She added, “Today, I’ve expended all my savings on purchasing Internet products and, if it wasn’t for a friend, I’d be a street person right now. “
And she is not alone.
But she hasn’t given up, like 99% of us have would.
Building an Internet Business does get hard. It can be frustrating.
But if you really want it and follow great advice, you will be successful.
Don’t be defeated. Don’t give up. Don’t quit.
5. Measuring and tracking your progress is vital
As part of my gym membership, I have targets in place. Targets for:
- Weight loss
- Running times and distances
- How far I can row before I collapse
- Amount of weight lifted
These measures spur me on and make me work harder.
Do you have targets and measures in place for your Internet business?
I don’t just mean income related. Income might be your overall end result target but what about your targets and measures to get there.
You could target/measure:
- Visitors
- Backlinks
- Guest posts
- Opt-ins
- Blog posts
- Comments
Targets focus you. I have a simple one of commenting on 10 different blogs each day. I don’t go to bed until I do and when I do got to bed I feel great because I’ve achieved everything I wanted to.
In summary…
If you are just starting out on your Blogging or Internet journey… go for it but be warned it’s not an easy ride.
If you are two or more years into your Blogging journey and it’s just not working, see if these lessons can help.
Wherever you are, I encourage you to work hard, be committed and follow the best advice you can get.
Andrew Rondeau is the author of the free guide “The Income Blogging Guide Blueprint”. You can grab your complimentary copy at WeBuildYourBlog.com today.