Reflection 1 After10 Years At Wealthy Affiliate - The Pressure
Hi everyone
After years of being here at WA, I have a few reflections I would like to share. This is in the hope that some may be going through the same and my talk about how I went round stuff may be of some help.
The pressure we put ourselves through at the beginning
Back in 2015 when I started at WA, I had a lot of buzz and excitement, I still do. It was a fresh start, a chance to build something from the ground up. But amid all this enthusiasm, a sneaky pressure tagged along, the pressure to perform, to have the correct niche, to 'do it right.'
That pressure didn’t come from the platform or the training. It came from inside my head, comparing timelines, worrying about wasted effort, wanting reassurance. It was self-imposed pressure.
it revolved around comparing my timelines to others. I saw peers moving at what seemed like the speed of light, achieving one milestone after another. And there was me, at my snail pace, which felt painstakingly slow by comparison. This created doubt, am I doing enough? Am I wasting time and effort? Seeking reassurance almost became second nature in this frame of mind. The brilliant thing is that the Wealthy Affiliate community tirelessly gives this reassurance. Asking questions is encouraged - a big plus!
There's a psychological game here. The fear of putting all our effort into something that might not pan out amplifies the stress. "Am I missing a trick?" or "Am I smart enough to crack this?" echoes in our heads. It's paralyzing and can often lead us to second-guess or overanalyse each step we take.
The Noticing
I experimented with just noticing that pressure, not correcting it and things tended to settle on their own.
Recognizing this pressure is half the battle. Start by noticing when these thoughts creep in without immediately jumping to fix them. It sounds counterintuitive, but acknowledging their presence without judgment helps. You'd be surprised how this simple act can shift the perspective from pressure to productive calm.
I remember bumbling through my initial online ventures with the same doubts swirling around in my mind. Yet, it was when I started paying attention to these internal nudges without rushing to cure them that I found clarity. Things seemed to slow down, in a good way, allowing clear thought to take the driver's seat.
I now know that it's not about fighting to win the battle and losing the war. I've come to rely on a few steps when facing these moments. First, breathe. Literally and metaphorically, it works wonders. Focus on your unique path and align your tasks with long-term goals rather than getting lost in short-term expectations. Remember, there's no universal blueprint for online success.
Ultimately, understanding this personal pressure and not letting it derail your progress fosters resilience. It keeps your creative journey focused on learning and growing at a natural pace without the internalized race against an invisible clock.
Pressure distorts clarity.
Distorted clarity weakens your work.
I was running away from the 9 to 5 rat race yet creating my own in my mind! Lol. I will give my next reflection next week.
May you achieve all that you came to WA for and much, much more!
Stay curious and keep showing up for YOU.
Cheers
:Midsummer.
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Recent Comments
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You will get there eventually. It took me a long time to get to a point where I started feeling happy with where I was at. It took me years. But you know what, every step in those years was a learning curve. There were times when I thought nothing was happening. As long as you don't give up and keep showing up no matter how slow it appears, you are going somewhere and it will be very clear for you at some point. Wishing you continued success.
That old chestnut of comparing ourselves to others is one of my downfalls, although as the years have gone by I have improved massively.
Rick
Yes Rick, it seems no one escapes that part of the journey. I suppose knowing other people's speed is not what matters in our individual journeys helps a bit and we can ease the foot on the pedal and just enjoy the drive. Thank you for passing by. Wishing you continued success.
I love that bit about easing up on the pedal and enjoying the drive. Life, as they say, is just a journey so we may as well enjoy it.
Ah yes… the classic WA starter pack:
✔️ Massive excitement
✔️ Big dreams
✔️ And a self-installed pressure cooker set to MAX 😄
Your reflection perfectly captures that sneaky comparison game.
Watching others zoom ahead while we question whether we accidentally skipped an “important secret step.”
Spoiler alert: we didn’t.
I especially loved your approach of simply noticing the pressure instead of trying to wrestle it into submission.
Turns out, our thoughts behave much better when we stop chasing them with a net.
Thank you for reminding us that there’s no universal timeline.
Just progress, persistence, and the occasional deep breath.
This was reassuring, grounding, and refreshingly honest.
Peter
Thank you Peter. I really appreciate your input too. We can only progress and persist knowing that we will get to where we want to go as long as we don't give up. No need for pressure to get there. There is just the need to enjoy the journey. The end result is actually not as enjoyable as the journey. Wishing you a joyful journey.
Hi Midsummer
Nice, I've only been in this new edition of meat WA for 50 days, but I can identify with your sentiment.
We have a saying in my country 'Don't check other peoples money, cause you don't know what they had to do to get it.' Same principle here, you put in 10 years to get where you are. I appreciate that.
My take is the feeling of being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available here at WA, and stressing myself out to get as much in as possible in the shortest possible time.
That how I view this post, as a reminder that Rome wasn't built in a day.
It might take two, just kidding, but yeah, point taken, message received. ^_^ Cheers.
Hi Paul
Love that saying from your country. We do put ourselves under pressure to cover much in a short space of time. Pressure, pressure - it distorts everything we do and compromises our learning and results.
Thank you for passing by. Stay curious and enjoy the journey.
cheers
:Midsummer.
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Thanks a lot for sharing, and I can really relate. I joined in 2016; my first goal (even today) is to qualify for the Las Vegas Super Affiliate conference.
To be honest, as you mentioned, the pressure is from myself and inside. I was chasing some shortcuts and shiny object syndrome.
Finally, this year I'm giving my very best. Starting from scratch (new website, redoing WA core training, and the list goes on).
Looking forward to your next post!
Thank you Paul and yes I remember you from back then. I joined October 2015. When you finally put your mind to what you want to do, handle or rather get rid of the pressure mindset, do the work at your own pace, you will definitely get to where you want to go. Over the years some have become super affiliates and so can anybody who genuinely focuses and walks the walk. It's a narrow road because a few really walk it. Keep going, you will get there.
Thanks a lot for the inspiring and wise words. For sure, by God's grace, I will focus on walking the narrow path. Wishing you great success!