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The required mindset for online success
How to make $1000 a month online from scratch has proven to be one of our most popular article series. It has recently been updated to support the latest online developments and innovations.
Put simply, for most of you, the biggest hurdle you’ll have to earning $1000 a month online is your own mind. This guide provides a blueprint of practical steps to direct you towards success. However, it’s one thing to say and quite another thing to do.
Most of the time, motivation is not the problem. No, it’s the sneaky mental enemies that you have to watch out for. There are two in particular I’m thinking about.
The first enemy of the mind is self doubt. If we have self doubt, it will erode everything we do. There is a saying I live by that says, “You will go where you look.” This means simply, if you expect to fail, you probably will.
You need to have the right attitude if you want to succeed. I’m very aware that I’m sounding like a Tony Robbins infomercial, but the raw fact of the matter is that your attitude will determine whether or not you succeed.
It will dictate how hard you work, how enthusiastic you are, how willing you are to learn, how persistent you are and how committed you are to succeeding.
The second enemy of the mind that you MUST get a handle on is overcoming distractions. Once you start your little online venture and you start looking around the Internet for information on this stuff, you’ll be presented with thousands of conflicting opinions and promises of easy riches.
Trust me on this, you’re best to ignore the noise and focus on the tasks I outline. Don’t worry, I’ve seen it all. I’ve been doing this since 1999 and have been a driving force behind millions of dollars of online sales. I’ve learned over the years what to focus on and what to ignore.
This guide filters out what you don’t need to know. I would be confident in saying that there's hardly a single online marketing tool or process that I haven’t seen. If it’s not mentioned in this guide, it’s for a good reason.
If it’s not included it’s either too expensive, too time consuming, too risky, too shortsighted or too difficult for someone starting out. The trick is to focus on doing the things I’ve outlined in a methodical way. Most of it isn’t flashy, or tricky and much of it is boring. That’s OK, it’s a tried and tested process that gives you the best opportunity for success.
Action Steps
If you want to develop and refine the right mindset for success in this task, here are a few practical action steps you need to take before you do anything else. Take this seriously. It’s easy to skim over and much harder to make it part of your own mindset. However, it’s fundamentally important.
Here goes. Read slowly and carefully.
Have a Positive Attitude
Ask yourself, “Do I believe I can do this?”
This is perhaps the most important question you need to ask yourself. Most specifically, you need to ask, “If I have all the tools and resources at hand, do I believe that I can make $1000 a month online?”
Be specific. It’s OK to have some apprehension about it, but if you truly believe that you cannot do it, then you won’t. Not because it’s impossible, or too hard. It’s because you don’t have the attitude it takes.
You need to take a deep breath and purposefully state, “I can and will make $1000 a month or more online.” It certainly won’t be overnight. It may take 6 months or more to get there, but if you follow this guide, you have everything you need to achieve this goal.
Now, I can’t guarantee that you’ll do it. It’s not up to me. You need to guarantee yourself that you will do it!
Have a Willingness to Learn
Ask yourself, “Am I willing to learning new things?”
There will be points along the way where you’ll feel a little out of your depth. That’s OK. Just be prepared for the challenge and enjoy it!
Some of you will still be looking for the “Click here and get rich” solution. It doesn’t exist I’m afraid.
Many of you haven’t learned anything new and challenging for years. Get mentally ready for it.
Most importantly, don’t think you have to become an expert on everything. Just become good at the things I mention in the guide and that will be all it takes. I know online millionaires who have no idea how to make a web page. It doesn’t matter. They’ve just followed what they know works and stuck at it.
Be Committed to This
Ask yourself, “Am I committed to completing all the tasks outlined in this guide?”
This means that you will need to trust what I say. The simple fact is, if you’re not willing to complete most of what I’ve outlined in this guide, you will have dramatically lower results. Much of the instruction outlined is designed to have a snowballing and exponential effect.
Be Consistent
Ask yourself, “Am I willing to plug away at this on a regular and consistent basis?”
I can tell you now that one of the most common characteristics of people who have succeeded online is consistency. They are the ones who have consistently worked on the same thing over a long period of time. They didn’t jump from project to project. They just kept working on the same project with the faith that it would work for them.
This is one of the biggest tips I can give you. Write it on your brain like a tattoo.
Focus and Resist Distractions
In line with this, ask yourself, “Am I willing to focus on the tasks in the guide and resist distractions?”
When you start spending more time online, you’ll begin to experience the way the Internet is conducive to stealing your time and attention. One minute you’re researching content, the next thing you know you’ve lost an hour of your time on some unrelated blog. Your time is your most precious resource. Make sure you are working in your work time and relaxing in your recreation time. Don’t let the two merge together to make neither of them profitable.
This rule always trumps the “Have a willingness to learn” rule. Learn as much as you need to and then focus on the application.
Beside your “BE CONSISTENT” tattoo from above, also put “FOCUS!”
Follow the 80/20 Rule
Ask yourself, “Am I willing to focus on the things that will give me the greatest benefit, even if it means that some things are not perfect?”
This is a rule I’m constantly striving to follow. You may know the old 80/20 rule. In this case, it means that typically 80% of your profits will be generated by 20% of your work. Your job is to constantly monitor what you are doing and determine if it is the activities that are going to generate the bulk of your profits.
This guide goes part of the way in helping you achieve this. I’ve deliberately left out lots of things that might be good to do, but when you are time poor, you need to focus on the things that give you the best “bang for buck.”
Focus on Content, Not Technology
Ask yourself, “Am I willing to focus on the content, not the technology?”
This is one of the most important practical things that you need to drive into your thinking every day. I see so many people messing around with their sites, changing their color schemes or trying to make their site look so “perfect” that they don’t end up going anywhere.
Remember, it’s the content that drives the income, not the technology. Think about this. Two people have 100 hours each. The first spent 80 hours making his site look just right and 20 hours on his content. The other spent 20 hours on his site to get it close to right and then 80 hours on his content. At the end of the day, who do you think made more money?
Give me an average looking site with 100 pages of good content over a good looking site with 20 any day.
I’m sure the search engines will agree!
Change Your Mindset
Take this part of my blueprint for success seriously. The more you can master this stuff, the more likely you will be to not only hit the $1000 mark, but go well and truly beyond it.
Look out next week as I uncover, “The Idea”, the practical and step-by-step starting point to help you map out your new online business. Next week is fun and less serious, so look out!
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Its my fault really. I don't learn how to build traffic to my site among other things.
For the past one year with my new site i already getting commisions from affiliate products. This time i get the right attitude. You're right , having the right mindset is needed in order to be successful online.
Thanks again.
Instead of location, location, location, it's focus, focus, focus! Focus on one project, focus on being consistent, and focus on managing your time.
Thanks for doing this... I'm along for the ride 100%, willing to put in the time and adopting the mindset that I WILL succeed.
Can't wait for next week.
Mike
I like the way your series is developing - I am a classic case of someone who has 'flitted' from one online idea to another and made 'diddly squit!'
I am determined to remain focused on your plan and get to $1000/month
Cheers
Martin
You are absolutely correct. I'm looking forward to the next article.
Joe
Thanks for putting this together to help us out. Part 2 made the very valid points of "Focus" and commitment.
So now I have to go focus and make some money today.
Ken
Perhaps it's helpful to compare a business career to an athletic career? The required mindset you describe would seem to apply to both.
It's interesting to note that muscle tissue is built in the down time between workouts, not while we're exercising.
Thus, while it's useful to learn how to exercise correctly, it's also important to learn how to rest, because that's when our body experiences its real growth.
Do our minds work the same way?
The mindset challenges you address, positive attitude, willingness to learn, commitment, consistency, avoiding the addiction of distractions, and a creative focus on content, can all be enhanced both by learning how to think correctly, and by learning how to take breaks from thinking.
A real rest is not so much about what we're thinking, but whether we're thinking.
If your readers wish to uncover a powerful "secret weapon" that will be ignored by most of their competitors, learning how to turn our minds off once in a while, is something to think about. :-)
You are on your way to "sainthood" for taking the time to present this program to us. Even at 74 I know that I can do this. However, I got caught up in the flitting from one guru's idea to another. After three months of WASTED time I had an UNsubscribe day and I felt better right away. Looking forward to the rest of your program.
With much appreciation for your labor,
Saul
[What I'm outlining is my suggested path. Obviously there are many ways to make money online. This is my recommended path for the demographic I discussed in the first article. - Jay]
Thanks for doing this, the insight is awesome! I'm a big believer in the power of the mind and it was great to hear your perspective on this. I'm definitely a beginner to online business in general, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series.
It starts really from within. If you start working and cleaning up what's inside your mind and your heart, you'll soon realize that you have what it takes to make this happen.
Cori
Thanks!
I am paying close attention to all the advice, because I have little skill but have made a decision to develop a right mindset and focus, and let's see how far it will take me.
Cheers
Sonja
You have heard it all before.... this is brilliant.... concise and to the point. My only complaint is I want $1000 a month in 3 months and because of all the wonderful copywriting of various programs I am conditioned to think that is possible. Yours is more realistic and 6 months will not be long going.
Human nature being as it is we all start with good intentions and once something crops up suddenly this goes on the backburners.
So have to FOCUS and recap each day on how master plan is going.
I subscribe to the 80/20 rule.... and if we have the same mentality as learning to walk and keep perservering until we do... we will all get there.
Say to yourself.... I easily and consistently make over $1000 per month from home and it's great fun.
Regards
Shaun
Dublin
[Read every article in this series. Allan.]
[Read the complete series of articles. Allan.]
[Nothing is guaranteed. You need determination and good communication skills. Allan.]
succeed, they won't even give the plan a half-hearted attempt" that is not simply failing, you've successfully sabotaged your own dream". The way you put it, makes the entire article a masterpiece, congratulations!
Mankind also has problems with believing that they can do something that they are not knowledgeable and skilled in. With the abundance of information and experts in every topic imaginable there is no excuse to being left in the dark.
Talk about hitting a nerve, you have just hit a whole boat load. Just about everything you have said in this article about why we don't succeed I have and still am guilty of doing, for the most part without even noticing that I am.
Thanks for the kick to get back on track.
Simon
It seems to the point and uncluttered with extraneous material. I love the simple writing style!
One thing that in this article I don't understand is that 80/20. Can you explain it to me? I don't get it.
And I thought I'd have to spend 2-3 years learning and working online to get to a 1000- bucks!
If ever I was motivated then, I'm even more so now.
Thank you Allan and Jay! Now to learn to communicate next...
Love what you bring to the table. Own it. Be at one with it. When you have done that, you are ready to build a business model that cannot be duplicated. You will begin to come across as “real”.