The Power of the First Step - The Starting Point of ALL Greatness

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In the crazy world of online business and affiliate marketing, there's a nugget of wisdom that's always relevant, no matter what year, trend, or platform we're talking about. It goes like this...

"The best way to get something done is to BEGIN."

Sounds pretty simple, right? But its implications run deep.

Alright, let's imagine you were standing at the shoreline of an enormous ocean. You dream of reaching the other side. Yet, the vastness of the journey intimidates you into inaction.

What if...just what if...you simply decided to START? Hopped into a boat, grabbed an oar, and rowed?

It may not get you across in a day, a week, or even a month... but progress is progress. You're nearer to your goal with each stroke. And that's the beauty of taking the first step. Without that, there would have never been the opportunity to conquer your goal.

Shattering the Paralysis of Beginning: Turning Fear into Action

So, why is it that we so often stand at the brink, dreams within reach, yet falter when it comes to making that initial leap? We dream BIG dreams: building a flourishing online business, creating a stream of passive income through affiliate marketing, achieving the elusive financial freedom. Yet, too often, we stand there... on the shore, gazing at the vast ocean of our dreams, not daring to take that first step (or row)...

Here's the tricky bit: Starting is HARD.

But let me shed a little experience with you here: It's not the task that's intimidating. It's our perception of it. We look at the mountainous challenges ahead, the colossal amount of knowledge we need to amass... SEO, content creation, email marketing, social media promotion, building a sales funnel... and it feels like attempting to construct a skyscraper when you've only just learned how to lay bricks!

But think about our aspiring seafarer. He didn't aim to cross the ocean with a single row. He just started. He chose ACTION over inaction. And that's what you need to do, too...

Instead of getting lost in the enormity of building an online business, start small. Pen your first blog post. Register for an affiliate program. Make your first social media post. Learn something new about Wordpress.

With each minor action, you are closer to crossing your personal ocean.

The Art of Persistence: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

What's that, you say? "Kyle, I've started before, but my momentum petered out. I didn't see results quickly enough."

That's a VERY common pitfall. We live in a world fixated on INSTANT results. Quick gratification. Rapid victories. But building a successful online business is less of a sprint and more of a MARATHON. I say this over and over again, but it is the reality. The key isn't just in starting but in persisting... one step at a time.

Starting is more than just an action. It's a MINDSET. It's a declaration that says, "I may not reach my goal today, or tomorrow, or the day after... but I will begin. I will make progress. I will keep moving."

We've all embarked on our journey. The daunting ocean remains (and new oceans to conquer will appear as you cross the existing ones), but we are no longer anchored by fear. We are in motion...BEGINNING...advancing. We are navigating our ocean, one stroke of the oar at a time.

Being challenged and uncomfortable is a sign of progress, and growth. Let's embrace that, knowing that the only way to achieve our desired goals is to START, and then follow through with our commitment to those goals.

Let's get rowing!

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Recent Comments

106

Thank you for this blog. My last blog was in March and then I went into a blackout caused to the deaths of three of my relatives. The momentum that I had gained simply vanished. Right now it is coming back. This is when I realized that although starting may be the first step, persistence is very tricky. Dropping out seems to be easy. In a marathon, one rather walks than stop, so I am back on the track after walking for three months. Thank you, once again for this motivational post.

4

Well said, we walk. We don't stop. We move forward every day, and as a result of that we climb higher mountains, sail further distance across more vast seas, and reach a higher level of success. :)

Thank you, once again. I am motivated to continue.

I am sorry for your losses, Joseph.
May they rest peacefully.

You have support in WA and also the opportunity to "walk" at your own pace.

Reach out whenever you need to.

Cassi

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Oh Cassi, thank you so much for comforting me. You know, sometimes we men are made to appear to remain strong even in such hours. Indeed many of my associates think I am very strong because I behaved as a man should behave in such times i.e., to strengthen others. However, the pain remains for long inside. I just felt no interest in doing anything!!

It is good I allowed such a space of time to pass and now I am recovering and the interest to build my website has come back. Thank you, once again. Your support is highly valued.
Joseph

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You are most welcome, Joseph.

At the end of the day, we are all human and therefore we are emotional beings.
Being true to that is critical for us to function in a healthy way.

Take your time to grieve and emerge with strength.
Honour your loved ones in the way you live your life.

I wish you a renewed and productive week ahead.

Cassi

1

Thank you very much, Cassi. Your support is appreciated.

1

Happy to be of service, Joseph.

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Great post, especially this part of it:

"...Instead of getting lost in the enormity of building an online business, start small. Pen your first blog post. Register for an affiliate program. Make your first social media post. Learn something new about Wordpress.

With each minor action, you are closer to crossing your personal ocean."

My motto is;" Keep it simple and hurry slowly".

I have it as the tagline on one of my websites. I live by it, and It has always served me well, without exceptions (even if it sometimes hasn't seemed like it did).


Roy

5

Yes get started! Our best teachers are the mistakes we make along the way. I do like your motto as well. I have found that, over the years, you move quickly by moving slowly...

1

Love your motto Roy. Just trying to envision myself hurrying slowly now lol. Hurry, when understanding exists as it doesn't necessarily feel like hurrying, just that you have become skilled and have efficiency at your disposal.

Thanks for sharing your insights. ;)

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Hi, Grant. Great you liked the motto.

Yes, it is from our mistakes we learn where to adjust and adapt.

Roy

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Always a pleasure, Kyle.

Yes, the image of hurrying slowly is quite funny and can be contradictory. But we just have to take a look at the high achieving athletes and how they have been working diligently year after year in order to reach their goals (Olympic Champions, World Champions and more).

Roy

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...another way to look at 'hurrying slowly' is the realization that there is no such thing as an 'overnight success'...success is a journey...

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Hello Kyle, glad to see this post thanks, hoping you are well.

I find that I can easily start, that has not really been my issue. The issue for me is staying focused on one thing and not spreading myself to lots of different projects that I overwhelm myself to get progress on my website.

I need to generate more centered focus for long term writing goals I have.
I try to schedule my day but that just seems to go with what I need to attend to and before I know it, it is bedtime cause I must sleep for my mental health.

But in saying all that I get so excited for every dream I have planned for my websites in WA, not to mention my goals to be at the Vegas board meetings.

Kind regards
Erica

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Yeah, focus is always a tough one. That never goes away, and this comes down to organizing where you are at, and where you want to be. If you just work away at things without a plan...daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals, then you are going to find yourself chasing your tail a bit.

The internet business world is full of distractions, partly because there is so much opportunity out there, and partly because there are so many ways in which you can reach your end goal (success) within the online world.

Reach for your dreams, don't stop, and aim to get a little more focused. You will achieve big things!

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Thanks so much Kyle, you are so right, the internet and the online world is busting with opportunities.

I appreciate your approach as you are winning with your online adventures and you must have been tempted to do multiple things over your time building WA.

Erica

I took my first step at WA in 2016.

And 'STARTING' became synonymous with many things I did.

Every site I built eventually made money. But the question is -- how much and for how long.

Along my journey, I celebrated small wins that were not built on solid foundations. Some of my sites are totally wiped out by subsequent Google SEO updates.

Some still generate revenue, but a fraction of what they were.

One good thing that turned out was my career change from engineering to writing. Pretty much unexpected. But made possible because I took the first step to write my first blog.

Like many new WA members, I'm starting again this year.

Putting up a site with learnings from past mistakes. And useful knowledge I picked up along the way.

Will it be more successful in terms of value, purpose, and returns? Only time will tell.

But this is far from the END of my journey, here or the broader digital space.



4

Keeping your head in the game builds your brand. Like you, I created web pages and blog posts that, when I reviewed them later, I wondered what the hell was I thinking. But your value to others depends on your persistence. You keep learning from your mistakes and, in so doing, your value to others can only go up.

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What a journey you've had Kenny! Your story is a testament to the resilience and tenacity that embodies the true entrepreneur. It's wonderful to hear about the growth and changes you've experienced since joining WA in 2016....and it has been awesome to see your growth through this time

Your shift from engineering to writing into the new world show flexibility to change. Within the online world, we have to keep ahead of the curve, if we want to capitalize on opportunity. So I commend you on making shifts in your business when necessary, we are constantly do the same on our end as well. It is just part of the process and that approach will always give you a competitive edge.

I completely agree that every site, every piece of content, every success, and even every failure bring us valuable and important lessons. Even the most challenging experiences are an opportunity to learn and improve, and then acquire new skill sets that can lead us to greater success in the long run.

Remember, it's not about the destination, but the journey. And it sounds like you are embracing that journey, regardless of the challenges and changes along the way.

Thanks for sharing your story Kenny, and here's to more growth, success, and learning in your future!

1

Hi Kyle.
How are you?

Motivating post, thanks for posting.

The start is difficult when you have to wait for all the pieces to come together, I don't think that they are excuses, but that it is success.
It took me 7 years to start.
I have no regrets, I had my goal and for START itself, I achieved it.
Now other goals have been set.
I don't know yet how long that second START will last, knowing myself, I've already made it through half, but the hardest part remains.

SO CLOSE - SO FAR.
That phase is the worst for me.

And yes, that's right, it's a MARATHON.

Many regards,
Slavka 👋

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You are not alone. Unlike kids that just jump into the water, or are oblivious to the fact that they could (and WILL) fall off their back before they can learn how to ride, we become risk adverse as we get older and it becomes easier not to subject ourselves to the idea of failure simply by not starting. Unfortunately that is the only way you can truly fail at something.

I am looking forward to seeing your progress moving forward Slavka, you have learned a lot and made some really good progress in terms of your skill sets thus far. The pieces will start to fall in place. ;)

1

Hi Kyle.
Thank you for your reply.

I fully accept your comment as a well-intentioned suggestion and motivation to continue collecting my 🧩 to fall in place.

I appreciate your reply.
Many greetings, be well and I wish you successful work.

Slavka 👋

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