For Losers Only: A Solution To Your #1 "Catch-22"

Dien,

"P.S. Thanks to Tom, too, whose posts I seem to learn a lot from as well..."

You are more than welcome. I appreciate your posts too. BTW, I never ever once said don't test. A guy would be stupid not to test.

When we opened our insurance agency, we used about 5 or 6 different cold call scripts before we hit on 2 that worked. Believe it or not, the 2 were not part of the original 6. We tested until we couldn't see straight.

Yessir, testing works. My point in my posts was simple. Believe first, take action next, test third and wash rinse repeat.

I wish everyone as much success as they can handle.

goodness ...just stopped by to visit my 14 friends on here and discovered this ,,in addition to the putting thread...and had to ask TW if maybe we could meet sometime and just talk ? you remind me of an old Jewish friend of mine, kinda like Billy Crystal., who could always find the Dark side of the day ...it is pretty right now, BUT just you wait, kinda guy.

want to know my feelings on this subject....people are where they are ( me included ) because that is where we WANT to be...period.

The reason we are not 'successful'....how do you define 'success'?....is that we are NOT comfortable doing anything other than what we are doing..NOW

Until someone changes their 'choices' to include 'success' as someone else defines it, nothing different will happen.

I am where I am because I have made choices to get me here. My 'here" may not be your definition of 'success' yet it works for me

gotta go and get my chicken fried steak ....southern folks know what my 'choice' is on that ...be in joy ...

For newbie lurkers like me.

Jigsaw puzzle: noun.

1. Also called picture puzzle. A set*of irregularly cut pieces of pasteboard, wood, or the like that form a picture or design when fitted together.

2. Any complex, confusing situation, condition, or item, as one composed of seemingly diverse or unrelated elements. Definition from dictionary.com


This is going to be a long first post so I hope you’re sitting comfortably. Hi I’m Paul and I’m the world’s greatest procrastinator. I can’t prove this with a photo of gold medals or screenshots showing my certificates of merit, as procrastination isn’t a recognised Olympic sport.

SHAME, I could’ve been THE Michael Phelps of procrastination, blowing everybody out of the water.

There’s been a long running debate about what people need to make it online. Many people have mentioned:

• Belief
• Joy
• Persistence
• Goals
• Visualization
• Law of Attraction
• Obligation
• Motivation
• Desperation
• Just do it
• Testing
• Passion

Plus a whole lot more.

They’re all right. When they look at success from where they’re standing.

However,

Online success is like a huge jigsaw puzzle, with tons of pieces in different shapes and sizes.

And like assembling a puzzle, it doesn’t really matter where you start. Some people begin with the edge pieces; others pile pieces together by color or shape, a few individuals just pick one piece, and look for another that fits.

Each method works, but you need every piece to complete the puzzle.

For many people (including me) the hardest part to solving a jigsaw puzzle is opening the box.

Many people don’t get past –

“Oh my God, that looks complicated, I’ll never finish, it’s just too hard”,

That’s why there are so many info product hoarders, who buy the latest shiny new ebook, hoping to find the one that says “put this piece here, insert the blue one there, et voila! I know because that used to be me.

Side note: they’ll never find it because it doesn’t exist. One size doesn’t fit all.

The only way to start a small online business, website or blog, is look at it like a jigsaw puzzle. Open the box, pick up a piece and go from there.

It doesn’t matter how many times you pick up a piece that doesn’t fit, take your time and you’ll find the piece that works.

You’re in test mode, looking for pieces that fit, and putting the puzzle together, who cares which method you use? Just pick any one and see what happens.

Side note: Richard Dennis talks about testing like this in a recent post.

Start, don’t worry if the method you’ve chosen fails, because you’re testing and you’ve just figured out something that doesn’t work for you. No one cares if you mess up, it’s called experience. We all need experience; it’s what takes us to the next level.

Here at Sowpub there’s a wide range of ideas on view that you can test, just pick one, see what happens. I have and I’ve accomplished more in a week than over the past few years. Yep, I said years…

No sales yet, but I’ve got posts on my blog and products to offer visitors. I’m in full test mode, looking for what works, I’m patient, there’s no rush because the world isn’t going to end anytime soon ;-)

I can hear it now, can you, someone whispering “but what niche do I choose, how do I decide?”

IT DOESN’T MATTER.

Just choose one and start. Remember we’re in test mode so we don’t care what subject we pick. If you have no idea, There are lists you can find online that have hundreds of workable niches, grab a list, look for something you find interesting, then begin.

If you don’t see anything you like, close you eyes and point to one on the page. Wherever your finger lands is your starting niche. You might not stay long but that’s not the point. Later as you gain experience you’ll know from your testing whether it’s a good niche for you or not.

“But the guru’s say I have to have a passion, feel joyful about the niche I choose”.

Bull, when you’re just starting out it doesn’t matter. Remember we’re testing, we want to fail fast so we ca find out what works for us.

Not being passionate about something was my main excuse for inactivity for a long time. I’m almost 52 years young and still don’t know what I’m passionate about, that I could turn into a business.

Side note:There is one thing, making love, which I enjoy immensely. However, I haven’t figured out how to make money from that particularly activity and I’m not gigolo material. Even if I was, I’d only get paid on performance. That’s not what I’d call passive income and I don’t think you can do it online, yet…

The point I’m making is:

If you want / need / must have a successful online business, then start. Today!

Forget about being perfect, forget about hitting a home run on your first day, forget about the fear of this or that, and forget about making a million dollars in 2 hours. Just start something, anything. Put yourself in test mode.

Remember:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day”
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
“The more I practise (think test) the luckier I get”

Thanks to all the regular contributors on this forum, for your thoughtful, sometimes provocative and always insightful posts.

Gordon, thanks for the introduction to Sowpub.com.

Paul Wilson
Taking the first step.

Paul,

Now comes step two. Sounds like you are ready to take it even w/o all those procrastination gold medals

Tom

Close your browser!

[MMacGillivray]

LOL - Close your browser

You're absolutely right. I'm off to make some pancakes and some treacle scones .... no more browsing till they're done.

Best
Margaret

Quick Blast from the Past...

Never stop Listening... Learning and Changing!

It's Never Too Late...

Simple ideas... Simple Solutions...

Your Decision(S)...
http://www.google.com/search?q=Procr...ient=firefox-a

Phil

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by Paul Wilson

For newbie lurkers like me.

Jigsaw puzzle: noun.

1. Also called picture puzzle. A set*of irregularly cut pieces of pasteboard, wood, or the like that form a picture or design when fitted together.

2. Any complex, confusing situation, condition, or item, as one composed of seemingly diverse or unrelated elements. Definition from dictionary.com

Thanks Paul,

Welcome to the forum!

I love the jigsaw puzzle analogy... I think you're absolutely right!

You have to start "somewhere". Although 99% of people seem to be looking for one, there is no "magic bullet" or "magic pill"...

Entrepreneurship and business are a lot of things coming together - and there's no other way to learn it than by doing it, one by one...

If you don't start somewhere - then you'll never start!

Another thing is, when you start... new opportunities will arise. Those opportunities would never have arisen if you hadn't actually started, and were still "thinking about it"...

I've noticed that is true for me, and I believe it is true for everybody.

In addition, once you've started, you add to your credibility. There seem to be a thousand guys and gals who are "planning to start" for every one who has actually taken the first step (any step)... By taking the first step, you already give yourself a huge advantage, in business and in life...

However, with reading - I still recommend continuous learning. Nobody knows everything - and in the end, all that knowledge adds up... Just don't use reading as an excuse for not doing!

Best wishes,

Dien