It can be so difficult to truly feel successful working at home. It often takes a while to even see the fruits of your labor. No matter how many ebooks you buy or articles your write, it may still seem like your head is barely above water. In fact, you’re probably sinking fast.
Before you can truly make big money online I really believe that you have to tailor to your passions first. If you hate fishing, how in the world are you going to stand to write 100 Bum Marketing articles on fishing?? Make that first dollar online and then move on to something a little more lucrative.
I think many of us prefer to see instant results. It’s funny, I’ve just started doing freelance work ( Freelance Mommy ) and I’ve made so much more money and am far more focused than I am when I try to write articles for my own efforts. I love writing and I love researching. It seems that I need that deadline to get my butt in gear.
Now that I have some money in my Paypal account, the frustration is lifting and I feel like I can really conquer this internet marketing thing!
Try to do something you love, make that first dollar, then move on!
Now that my little man is getting older and older (well, 2.5 months old ;), I’m finding it more difficult to focus. He’s still little enough that I should be able to get a lot of work done. Problem is, I have too many projects to get done and he wants to be entertained a lot more often.
I am discovering a lot about my personality by working at home. What I’ve learned is that I am always excited by the next greatest thing and tend to leave other projects behind (i.e. why I haven’t updated this blog as often as I’d like).
And from what I gather by reading other blogs and visiting forums is that other people have a lot of trouble focusing as well. We’re bombarded on the internet. Everyone is selling something (Even I am, or trying to), and everyone is trying to tell you that their way is best. When I look back on the last month or so I can’t believe how many programs I’ve joined and how many projects I’ve gotten myself into.
The lesson to be learned here is that progress will not be made if there is no focus. (See what happened to me this month in my other blog, Project Wahm
I did not meet my work at home goal, I did not even meet half of my work at home goal. Reason? It wasn’t because I’m not working hard. I work very hard and for very long hours. The reason I did not succeed is because I never finished a single project, I moved on to this one and than one. I’ve learned to turn the blinders on.
What do I do if I receive an offer for the latest and greatest make-a-million-dollars ebook? I’ve learned to delete that e-mail and continue building my business. I think that’s a valuable lesson that you’d do well to follow too 
There are so many people trying to work at home online. I’ve had the privilege of talking with some of them on online forums. Their success set against those who try and fail makes me think of the recipe for success. Why do some succeed while other’s don’t?
I actually submitted an article on this topic to an articles site today, so if it gets published, I will post the link here.
The basic gist of the article was that what sets failure from success in online marketing is drive, determination, and goal setting. People are just fine when they start out. They are full of the need to succeed. When they hit some roadblock, people tend to shy away and give up. I even find myself wavering sometimes and I’ve only just begun.
To keep myself going, I’ve decided to start *another* blog. Its domain name is www.projectwahm.com (it is not put together yet…stay tuned! Now LIVE!). This blog will detail my mission to continue being a work at home mom. I love being at home with my little son so much that I can’t imagine going back to working elsewhere. I will post the things I’m doing online to make money, be totally honest about them. I will post my earnings from each opportunity as well so maybe you can see if there is something you could succeed in as well. I got this idea from Amy Bass’ website called My Debt Free Goal .
Her mission is a little different-to pay down large amounts of debt. But her blog seems to hold her accountable and that’s what I want projectwahm to do for me. I also want it to be a place for fair and real evaluation of online opportunities and possibilities. I will left you know when that site is up and running!
Finally,
If you have a son or daughter who wants a Nintendo Wii, Xbox, or other gaming console this holiday season head over to my affiliate site Video Game Bargains
The site has done all of the searching for you, and links to ebay where you will make your final purchase. If you plan on using ebay anyway, this is a great way to help a momma out as I get a commission 
Given the amount of work at home and online businesses there are, why isn’t everyone finding them and making good money? One reason is that many of these businesses are scams. Even so, there are many out there that are legitimate work at home opportunities. I believe the number one reason people who join or start legitimate online businesses fail because they do not see results right away and give up.
I joined Avon when I was in college. I started out very gung ho about the business. I was so sure everyone would want to buy and that I would make money. My college roommate joined with me and we set off to advertise. What better place to start than your friends! We gathered them all up to present our products, expecting them to be immediately interested and to buy, buy, buy. Out of 10 girls, 1 of them bought a chapstick.
We sold to a couple of other people (ok, like one other person), and gave up within a month or too, never to speak of it again. What happened here? Why did we fail? In retrospect I think we expected to have results right away and to make a profit right away. If we had stuck with it, who knows where we would be now.
Many people with home based businesses have the same problem. They think that they will make money hand over fist with very little effort in very little time. This is not often the case, if ever. With any business where you are your own boss, you need discipline and focus to make a go of it. Immediate results are not seen, so you must work past that with your end goal in mind.
On a forum I belong to, we decided to start a weekly goals list to make ourselves accountable for what we want to accomplish. My goals for this week are to update each of my blogs with one new post a day. That is the only way to build interest in what I am doing and to stay focused. My other goal is to sign up 2 members with MyWorldPlus and to offer those members the guidance and support they need to succeed in the home based business industry. I also need to make sure I send in all of my paperwork for my online tutoring job.
It is a good idea for all of those trying to make it in the home based business industry to develop a weekly goals list. That way, you can check things off of your list and feel like you are accomplishing something even if you are not seeing the immediate results of your end goal. Another reason people give up is they lost their inspiration. Often companies offer shiny promises on the front page, and when you don’t see those shiny results right away you lose hope. Find inspiration by chatting with someone who is successful, or bookmarking the page of a success you admire.
Tips for Staying Focused
- Find some inspiration
- Develop a weekly goals list
- Check things on your goal list off so you feel accomplished
- If you are getting frustrated, take yourself away from it for a while to return with a fresh mind.
What do you do to stay focused???
I have a four year college degree in education. I feel that this is an accomplishment, however, I was never satisfied in the role I had created for myself. And now, with the birth of my son, the prospect of returning to work while he is so young seems like a cruel thing for both he and I. I do not look down on the mothers who have to send their child to daycare, not in anyway. It is a choice that every mom has to make and sometimes moms do not even have the choice-they simply must return to work. My goal is to create that choice for myself, to pave my own path that will allow me to work at home and raise my child. He is the most important thing to me, and I want to raise him like God intended. This blog will chronicle my attempts to work at home and what I learn along the way. I feel, so far, successful and I’ve only just begun. Stay tuned.
