Like Drinking From A Fire Hose!
A Little Background
A little over two years ago I was watching some YouTube videos and came across this character with the screen name 'Lazy Ass Stoner' (You can't make this stuff up. Seriously). The title was Affiliate Marketing for Dummies. It intrigued me so I watched it. Then found another and watched it as well. Now I was hooked so I watched everything I could find about affiliate marketing on YouTube.
It all seemed a little scammy to me and a little too good to be true. I mean really? How much can you trust a 20 something who calls himself 'Lazy Ass Stoner' ?
So I turned to my vast, unpaid, research department (otherwise known as Google).
Long story short, it was there I found a review on WA that sounded like I could trust it. I signed up. (You're welcome, whoever got and continues to get the commission for me joining. You earned it with a great article).
I came in to WA wide eyed and full of excitement. In spite of being warned repeatedly that this was not going to be easy, it still sounded like fast, easy money to me. After all, I had 40 years of computer experience under my belt. I knew how to create websites from scratch. I understood HTML and CSS to some extent. How hard could this be?
Ha! It didn't take long for that wide eyed excitement to turn into wide eyed terror! I quickly realized that this was going to be long, laborous, work and that I was in WAY over my head on this one. I attempted the training but was just overwhelmed. So I ran away and hid my head in the sand, sure that I had already missed the boat on affiliate marketing and that it would just be a waste of time.
I would occasionally return, sure. And I would quickly become overwhelmed, panic, and go away again. But I always kept my membership.
Fast Forward To A Few Weeks Ago
They say that we are motivated by pain and fear more than anything else. I guess my 'pain' was the realization that, like most people my age, retirement was going to be less than I'd hoped for if I had to depend solely on my retirement income. Add to that the fact that I was hearing more and more about kids getting rich off YouTube and affiliate marketing and my fear grew that I was missing a great opportunity.
So a few weeks back I got motivated to return to WA, determined to make it work this time. And so far I feel I'm succeeding at that. I found a niche that I love and felt comfortable exploring. I committed to the annual Premium Membership. I'm working my way through the training, slowly but surely and I've got a website up with several posts. I'm ready to start making some money.
Yesterday the fear returned.
But instead of running and hiding I took the time to analyze it this time. After all, now I've got some time and money invested so no since quitting now. I just needed to understand it and get past it.
Turns out, it's not so much fear as frustration. I want to be at the finish line. I want a polished webiste with posts that have links to affiliate markets for my readers to click on if they want more information.
And it's not so much about me. It's about wanting to give my readers the best product possible. The best information available. Something they can read and enjoy and tell their friends about. I want them to have little pieces of me to digest and learn from.
What I realized is that the training I need to get there, the information that is out there in WA land that I need to absorb, is overwhelming. There's SO MUCH to learn. It's like trying to drink from a fire hose!!! I read as much as I can. I watch the videos. I sign up for the webinars. I read your blogs. I engage in discussions!
And yet, after weeks of doing this, I feel like I'm only scratching the surface. I feel completely unqualified. I feel like even if I could spend 22 hours a day (Hey, i do have to have SOME sleep) working on this it would still take me years to start to become good.
But I want to be good... no, scratch that... I want to be GREAT right now!
What Changed?
Now that I know where the sense to panic and run is coming from I can deal with it. I can tell myself, "Listen to what everyone is telling you, dumbass! Trust the system, learn as much as you can from as many sources as you can, work hard and BE PATIENT!!! This is going to take a while!"
Seems simple enough. Right?
Not so easy to do though. But I'm working on it.
And this time I'm going to finish it. Well, as much as anything that needs constant attention can ever be finished.
Just wait and see. Two year from now I'll have this more or less under control. lol
Peace
Recent Comments
17
Hi David...you have just described what we all feel in the beginning...
I promise it gets to be fun before long.
There will be ups and downs but the more you learn the better equipped you’ll be to handle them.
We are all here to support each other in achieving success!
Blessings to you,
KyleAnn
Thanks KyleAnn.
It's good to know others have been overwhelmed by the volume of information available and needed for success. This community is truly awesome in their willingness to support. I know it will become fun at some point and will keep moving forward toward that. Have a wonderful and profitable day.
David
I get frustrated too...but I try to remember it's my choice to be here so I calm down and enjoy the process. We are learning something new...yeah us!
I too need to remember that it's about the journey, not so much the destination. Thanks for reminding me.
It sounds like you have it figured out. Yes, it is a lot of work, and it takes time, but as far as I can see it's the best thing out there. We will make it work somehow. Time and focus, and, yes, there is SO MUCH to learn. Might as well go for it.
There are so many Deadbeat Marketing experts online. Deadbeat Dan Brock(pretty good vids), Deadbeat Dad, Deadbeat Stoner, etc... I like you want to get to the finish line and patience has never been one of my assets. However, hard work and determination are two of my assets. I finally realized years from now I will still be learning something new at WA. I like that, so I am in for the long haul.
Here is a video I watch often from one of the more successful WA'ers. Overwhelmed By The WA Training? Here's A Cheat Sheet! Mark
I started to read your post and decided to run away. Not sure which word got my attention for a second look, but I stayed and read on. Glad I did.
We all have our expertise(s) in a variety of matters in life, working, social, spiritual, etc... Then along comes something such as WA to make us realize just how small of a piece of the puzzle we all are.
Stay with it and don't give up. All of it will come together for a purpose.
Thanks PappaJoe. That's part of what is so great here at WA. All the unique talents and expertise coming together as a community for the benefit of all.
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Welcome to WA I realize and understand what you are saying but like what the othets had said there are ups and downs like anything else.
We just keep on going because success is just around the corner we can't give up we just keep going.
Best wishes on your journey with WA.
Mary
One of the things I hear over and over, and can't hear enough of, is to not give up. To keep going. I need to print that out and put it just above my monitor. Thanks for putting that in front of me again. I think we all need to be reminded of that every now and then. So onward I go. :)
That is correct we can't give up on this business because we will be successful it is just going to take some time.
We don't know when it will happen but success is just around the corner. So that is why we can't give up and we can't quit either.
Stay positive and keep up the great work and think about all the success that you going to have.
Mary