I know it sounds crazy but it took me almost 2 years to start making money online. But the one reason that held me back would hold you back as well. So stick around and find out what you need to change to avoid making the same mistake I made. Because it’s the one thing that would make all the difference.
The one (1) thing that makes all the difference!
When the opportunity to start my own online business fell into my lap, literally, I immediately fell in love with the idea. I had been looking for a work at home opportunity to start making an extra income. Losing interest in a job I used to love, fueled my search as well. What can I say, sometimes these things happen.
The work from home opportunities I looked at included freelance writing, editing and proofreading, and a few other things. The idea of surveys and data entry popped up now and then. But I needed something that was more financially rewarding.
So I bypassed those opportunities. The last thing I needed was more frustration. My criteria for my work at home opportunity was freedom, flexibility, passion, and financial freedom.
1. Freedom
I did not want to be bogged down with meeting deadlines and all that jazz, so the work at home opportunities I was looking at, did not meet my criteria of freedom.
2. Flexibility
I wanted an opportunity that allowed the option of flexibility; working on it when I had the time, so it would fit into my schedule and at my own pace.
3. Passion
This work at home opportunity had to be something that I was interested in and loved! why waste time working on something you’re not even interested in or have no passion for, right?
4. Financial Freedom
For me, any online opportunity I accessed, had to be about financial freedom. The opportunity has to be lucrative enough to allow me to kick my 9 to 5 to the curb/kerb (however you want to spell it, LOL).
The Search Continued…
So I kept searching. Eventually I stumbled upon Wealthy Affiliate and I was actually amazed that something like that actually existed. Turned out, it was the ideal opportunity for me to use to start making money from home.
After checking out some of the lessons, and seeing the endless possibilities, I created my free account and the rest as they say is history. I started the training, and soon enough I upgraded to premium membership. Doing that allowed me to learn as much as possible to make my chosen opportunity a success. I was well on my way to building my online business.
Read: Is An Online Business for Anyone
Almost 2 Years To Start Making Money Online?
So why did it take me almost two (2) years to start making money online? What was this one key ingredient that held me back from reaping success with this work at home income opportunity? What is it that would hold you back as well and the one thing that would make all the difference? One word.
Mindset!
What happened is that I was not thinking “success,” so I was not doing everything I needed to do, to actually make my business successful. I did not exercise the mentality of someone who seriously wanted to make money online.
I would focus on writing/blogging, and I’d procrastinate about all the other things I really needed to do, to get my website/blog out there. Things like advertising, or targeting free traffic etc. Let’s face it, if you don’t have customers, how can your business be a success?
Some people have the mindset that an online business should automatically make money. But that’s not the case. You have to let people know about your website, so that they can visit it. If you don’t have visitors to your website then you don’t have a business. You have to run your online business the same way you would a brick-and-mortar one and get the word out about it.
So I had to change my mindset.
I had to start thinking differently. But you won’t believe what helped to get me on that path, though. But I’ll tell you anyway. Playing millionaire monopoly! I know it sounds funny, crazy even, but if you’re familiar with the game, then you know that there are big bucks involved. And if you want to win the game, then you have to change how you think.
Read: What an Online Business Is All About
The Millionaire Monopoly Mindset
Believe or not, having to make decisions involving large sums of money, as fake as it might be, it does something to you. Well it did to me. It’s from that experience that I realize that there is something different in having that millionaire mindset. Not a lotto mindset mind you; that’s a different mindset altogether.
It’s not about doing whatever it takes to make a quick buck at the expense of others either. But it’s about processing information differently. For example, I was doing some additional training, and while this is not typical results, there was this one guy who grossed over $125,000 in one month, with affiliate marketing and other product sales.
What the hell, right?! $125,000 in one month!
Hey, I was doing the same training he was doing. To add insult to injury, other people also started to make money online, and sometimes they’d make money in just a few days after launching a new website. What was I doing?
Procrastinating and still wondering whether or not this work at home opportunity would help me start making money online. As if that made any kind of sense at all. Sometimes we human beings can be so bizarre in our thinking.
I think you can clearly see the difference in “thinking” between me and my fellow training partners, right? In addition to which, I was comfortable financially, so I did not feel that urgency to attain any level of success with my online business.
Crazy, right?
My Mind Was Not In The Game
But here’s something that’s even crazier.
For me, making that kind of money was a bit intimidating. Don’t laugh! In all seriousness, I think I had a fear of success. Again that’s a mindset thing. But do you see what I am saying? My mind just wasn’t in the game.
Here I am, exposed to this fantastic training, along with insider tips and tricks of the trade that could help me make my online business a gigantic success, and what was I doing with such valuable information?
Saving it all up in my head, as opposed to implementing what I was learning. As if saving it in my head is where it was needed to help make a difference.
There are reasons why we don’t always make the change we really want, and comfort zones and mindsets play a huge role in that.
Even though, playing millionaire monopoly helped to get my thinking on the right track, I still had to have a talk with myself. I had to remind myself of what I wanted to do in life. One of which was to leave the job I started to dislike.
One thing I did not want to have to deal with, was that kind of frustration for the rest of my life. Are you seeing the importance of a vision board here?
Bottom line?
What I Did to Start Making Money Online
I had to change for things to change for me. Hey, nothing changes if nothing changes. I had to stop procrastinating if I wanted to start making money online.
In addition to which, I needed to start taking the opportunity more seriously. So I did exactly that. I got out of that state of mind and I started to implement what I learned from the training and doing what I needed to do, to attain success.
If I wanted change, then I had to do something to make that change.
So after a year and change, I finally started doing what I should have been doing all along. When I did that, I started making money online and got my first Google Adsense check which was over $200. Woot, woot!!
As the saying goes, life really is about 10% what happens to us and 90% is what we do with it. I was literally wasting my 90% of this work at home opportunity.
Want To Start Making Money Online?
If you want to start making money online form home, then learn from my mistake and get your mind in the game! DON’T allow your mindset to keep you from achieving your dreams or the lifestyle you really want. If you are looking for financial freedom and flexibility, then a great way to do that is to start making money online!
There are lots of opportunities out there to help you do that. But it’s up to you to make your choice work for you. Hey, if my fellow training partner can gross $125,000 in affiliate marketing and product sales, then anything is possible.
So if you want to start making money online with affiliate marketing, then click on the link below to get started FREE today!
Vanessa,
I completely agree with you. As a fellow WA member I must admit it can be hard initially changing your mindset to success, but when this is done you really are half way there!
When you finally start to make money and reap the rewards of your hard work it just makes everything you have done worth it.
Still getting there myself but I know I’m in the right place and heading in the right direction at WA!
Hi Craig
Your mindset really makes a huge difference. A person can have access to the best opportunities, but how he or she thinks about the opportunity, can make all the difference.
Sometimes it’s a struggle, but it’s not impossible.
Hi there Vanessa,
Very interesting article, thank you kindly for sharing it. I happen to be a blogger, so you can say we are in the same boat. I am making some coin as they say but not enough. At what point did you start to use c, google Adsense and where and how did you learn how to use that to maximum effect?
Hi Derek
Thanks for dropping by fellow blogger 🙂 To answer your question, I invested in learning a bit more in relation to my online business and how to make it a bit more successful. One of the things you learn in having an online business, or any business for that matter, is the importance of traffic; the more traffic, the better your business does.
So I invested in getting a bit more traffic to my website. What niche are you working with? I’d be more than happy to network with you if you are interested. Just let me know. Always happy to help a fellow blogger.
Hi Vanessa,
Your mindset is more important than you think. It’s actually the energy that is within you, which is stronger than any circumstances that you are facing or will face. It’s the motivation that keeps us going. It’s what says “Hey! Do it! Until you have reached your goal!”
The thing is…many people are perhaps scared or they don’t really know where to start, which in my opinion is not a sign or weakness, but rather anxiety. They are afraid of taking that one big step and leaving their comfort zone. Perhaps, some of you might even think “Hey, am I making the right decision here?” The truth is: you can never ever be able to connect the dots for the future, you can however do that for the past.
You just have to follow your gut and do what you LOVE! Live in the present and ask yourself this one question “Will I be doing this if this was my last day on earth?”
Thank you for sharing this with us! Keep it up!
aaaaaand always stay awesome! 😉
As a member of wealthy affiliate, I know that the community will never leave your questions unanswered and the training has the potential to financially change lives. People have to realize the time it takes to build a successful business and to never give up with it. You cant start making money right away with affiliate marketing. Great review of a great affiliate marketing training program.
Hi Cesario,
Thanks for dropping by. It really does take a particular mindset to start making money onlin, and depending on the niche, some people can make money sooner than others. But the key is not to get tied up thinking that because it’s an online business you’ll automatically make money. It’s all about the traffic; getting people to your website.
Hey Vanessa
I guess most of us can relate to you when it comes to working uninteresting jobs we hate.
It’s great to know you came across Wealthy Affiliate, and it’s certainly a platform that everyone needs for creating successful futures from their passions.
From your experiences so far, what’s the #1 best thing you love about the Wealthy Affiliate community?
Neil
Hi Neil
I love the fact that there are so many like-minded people within the community so if ever you need a hand with anything or a little bit of motivation to keep going, it’s all there; all in one place. Let’s not forget all the great tools and training availble to help get start your online business the right way.
Hello and thanks for sharing this awesome information that will be of good help to those who comes to your site. I believe that home base business in the best business in the world. Many people are turning to this type of business because of the benefits that it offers and this in it self is just awesome. Your post is well detailed and filled with good information.
Hi Norman
Thanks for the great comment. Having an online business is so convenient and so much fun, and let’s not forget the passive income.
Once you stop doubting yourself and just put into practice what you’ve learned, the rest as they say is history. Having the right mindset is so important to the success of an online business. Some people make the mistake of thinking that because the business is online, the money comes automatically, but that could not be further from the truth.
Like any business, you have to let people know your business is out there, so that they can check it out. The more people you have checking it out, the more successful it becomes.
Hey Vanessa….
Thanks for this post of yours. I like the cliff-hanger endings that kept me moving on to the next related post and then to the next. A beautiful strategy, that…one I have to figure out how to incorporate into my own thing.
Your story was also right-on. For someone like me who is basically into writing and artistic blathering, the marketing end of this thing we do is a chore and one I tend to avoid and resist. I am working on that.
Hi Netta
Thanks for dropping by and the kind words. A little intrigue is always good; just to keep things interesting, you know. The thing is, if you don’t have the right mindset when you are doing something, the likelihood is that you can miss out on something great and mindset is a key element to anyone who has an online business.
I had to get to that point where I just had to get over my fear of success, embrace the opportunity, and start putting the things I learned into practice, which is also important. I’ve got to say, it feels pretty good when get those messages saying you’ve earned a commission or you just got paid.
Again, thanks for dropping by and I wish you every success in your endeavors and if I can help you with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I think the mindset to success with working for yourself or working online is extremely hard to come across – no matter how much passion and drive you have to break free!
I personally had no idea how hard it was going to be – that was seven years ago….the work online landscape is even more challenging now!
This was a great read – reminded me of where I was when I first started out!
Hi Chris
Once you have the right help and support and you surround yourself with like-minded people, that should help. But as an individual you really have to make that mental shift for yourself. You definitely have to start thinking about what you want to accomplish and make it happen. Setting goals and having a plan helps as well, but having the right mindset is really important.