For the average Joe just starting out on an internet venture, it can be a daunting and scary task. There are so many questions and so many solutions to those questions it can cripple people at the starting line.
What would you say to your driving instructor, if after your first lesson he told you to drive on your own to a destination that you have never been to which is several hundred miles away. You cant use maps, and would have $97 billed to your credit card every time you stopped and asked for directions or short cuts.
If anything goes wrong with the car, brakes, punctures overheating etc the it’s your responsibility to find a garage and have it fixed and paid for. He also tells you to be careful that they don’t rip you off cause of your lack of mechanical skills.
If you break speed limits or disobey any road regulations you could also get heavy fines, delays or maybe even have your car confiscated.
Do you think you would accept this task without worry? If you had time to think about all the what ifs and the hows you would probably run for the hills or at least ask for some more preparation time.
I know this might seem like a very far fetched scenario and it is when it comes to driving but in my opinion beginners on the internet face the equivalent in terms of stress and being overwhelmed. There are so many obstacles to overcome and just as you over come another larger obstacle appears.
Information overload and distractions is the main culprit behind failed online businesses. SEO, Link building, Article syndication, PPC (Pay Per Click), banner advertising, Hosting, Web 2.0…. It just goes on and on. Plus next month there will also be some new online magic pill to study.
You believe that you need to master all of theses areas to stand a chance. Your competition will wipe you out if you don’t quickly master each discipline. Most people don’t realize that one or two marketing tactics done correctly can give your business the momentum and leverage needed (IF you desire) to move to the next level.
Think about the learning to drive scenario. How long before you become a confident driver that never worries about finding a destination or moving through busy traffic streets and motorways? How long before you are going into an electronics store to buy a GPS so you can navigate around areas you have never been before? How long before you are getting of a plane in a foreign country and renting out a car (Even if they drive on opposite sides of the road) ? I’d bet that time passed unknown to you. You didn’t master driving over night but it you learned so fast it feels like it. You learned because you drove a little each day. You drove, you implemented what you learned.
Learning your online skills is exactly the same. You become skilled and can maneuver through and absorb information and concepts at lightening speed. It seems like this happened over night. It does not happen over night but the simple act of implementing what you learn (like driving) magically causes our minds and body to adopt and hone those skills even more and a quicker pace.
So, stop waking up each morning only to check your inbox and hanging onto the words your favorite gurus spew. Certainly it’s good to have some true experts opinions in your inbox. But until you start implementing ideas and tricks yourself you will never be able to filter out the good from the garbage.
