Back on track after a short trip
So, I recently returned from a 2-week trip in Malaysia. This country is so underrated, most of the people who go backpacking in SE Asia skip it from their itineraries in favor of neighboring countries. I didn't hit all the amazing places Malaysia has to offer, since I prefer slow travel vs rushing from here to there and squeezing many places in a few days; I will return to visit the rest of the country soon! I loved learning about the history of Malaysia, being colonized for centuries by different nations which left their mark on this multi-faceted mix of races, religions and cultures. Feast for the eyes and taste-buds and history-buff brains like mine! Throw into the mix awesome nature, the oldest tropical rain-forest in the world, tea plantations up in 2 km altitude, outstanding islands and beaches, tranquil boat journeys... and you have the recipe for an unforgettable trip!
Uhm, ok... Didn't mean to sound like a travel agent promoting Malaysia (truly Asia!)
But I had a great time, and because I was traveling solo I was able to reflect on my goals for the past months, and I wasn't satisfied with my progress. I mean, I had lots of free time since I finished my teaching contract, and I used it researching and writing down ideas and reading reading reading!...
But that's where I usually crash and burn; all thinking and planning but no action! And without implementation, what's the point? I even have some posts sitting in draft form for ages waiting to be published, but there's always some better photos to choose from, some more research to do etc. I know, I know... Perfect is the enemy of good! So, lets start applying that mindset! Done is better than good, and there is no "perfect", and "good enough" needs to suffice!
That said, I realized that I don't want to aggressively try to monetize my travel blog yet. Publishing more posts there is the priority now, growing an audience of people who share the same passion. And I was stuck here in WA since I didn't start any website with SiteRubix yet (therefore I couldn't tick the box "create your own website" and I kept postponing the following lessons).
But I have an idea for another niche that I could start here as a free siterubix dot com site and see where it takes me. I've returned fully energized and super-motivated! And trying not to beat myself up for the slow progress.
Has anybody had a primary blog focused on a passion but chose to start a website on another interest? Am I signing up for failure if I'll try to juggle both websites? Reading other members' posts and experiences is always an inspiration.
Let me know, and have a productive week fellow Wealthy Affiliates!
Recent Comments
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Hi, Nicky...
Depending on the time and desire, you can certainly attack more than one niche at a time. Most people prefer to stick to one at least until they feel very comfortable with all the tasks running an online marketing business entails...
In my case, I started out overestimating my abilities so went in too many directions and took on too much. Only after a review a few months down the road did I see it wasn't working...
At that point, I shifted most of my focus to one website and learning all the other finer things online marketing had to offer, i.e. video creation and editing, sales page creation, social platforms, graphic design, email marketing, etc.
At any time, if you did pursue that passion niche, you can go back to the website and niche you are working on now...Maybe settle for a limited amount of time with the old niche and the rest with the new?
Best of luck whichever direction you go, a passion is something that is ignored at your own peril! I made decisions over my lifetime that changed the course of my journey at various points, and more than a few passions were left in the dust...
I am not complaining because in general, it has worked out OK, and I have crafted a life that is good for me and purpose-driven...There is more to the journey, and some passions left to attack hehe!
Surely that is the case for you, a fellow wanderer from the sounds of it!
Cheers!
Dave : )
Thanks so much for chiming in, Dave!
A fellow wanderer indeed, even my branded name is "eternal wanderlust" - journeys of body and mind hehe
"A passion is something that is ignored at your own peril"
I love this line! Absolutely true, and I have also followed directions that have provided money but not satisfaction, just as a means to an end (monetary). It's a position I don't want to find myself ever again, so I will stay on passion's corner for now and see where it leads me!
You say you changed the course of your journey many times; I think you have come to the conclusion that there is no right/wrong decisions if we view every experience as a lesson and stop repeating actions with unwelcome consequences.
Also what I've learnt, it's never too late to reacquaint yourself with dust-collecting interests and passions!
Burn out is truly a danger for everyone setting the bar too high, and time-management/organizational skills are so important! My main issue here is that if I keep working on the travel blog, it's not hosted in WA yet so I'm finding I'm lagging with the lessons here. I thought of setting an amount of time for working on that one, and starting another free SiteRubix niche here and see where it goes.
Cheers!
If you already have a site, go ahead and check the box! No need to wait to continue on with the lessons. You can always revisit the lessons when you create a new site.
I would definitely stick with one site for now! That is good advice that many pros here offer. Do one well before starting another. It is hard to do well on more than one when you are learning. Of course there are many exceptions and some are successful with multiple sites.
I have resisted the temptation to start more myself.
Malaysia sounds amazing!!!
I agree with your visual above as well.
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
thank you so much for the encouragement! I love this about WA, people way ahead of you taking the time to offer their advice and personal experiences.
My OCD-ness doesn't let me tick that box, lol!
Also, because my blog isn't hosted here (I will move it when my deadline with the hosting provider ends) this means I won't see the "Google" and "First website" achievements on my WA profile (please go easy on me, I know that's a childish thing to say but those badges are great visual motivators haha)
Malaysia was truly great and a very underrated country in SE Asia! Have a nice day :)
Hello Nicky!
So nice to see you again. Have been missing you. Thought about you the other day, and now you turned up just shortly after that!
You really should follow your passion and work on your preferred topic. You are writing in such a passionate way, that you can convince a tremendous number of people to travel around the world. There must be thousands of traveling products, which you can promote and certainly you can promote Hotels, Tour Operators and so on. "Multi-tasking" is not to recommend, particularly not when we are brand new in this business, I believe.
Just go for your passion Nicky!
:-)
wow, thanks so much for the encouragement girl!
I always enjoy reading your posts and watching you progress day by day! Telepathy at work, your thoughts summoned me to write this WA blog :)
I appreciate your feedback, I'm also taking some travel writing courses with Udemy so hopefully I can hone my writing skills. I made progress at putting my crippling perfectionism to sleep though!
Yes, I agree that if you're a newbie at something, you shouldn't try to bite more than you can chew. It can prove disappointing and that will defeat the purpose of engaging enthusiastically with your passion! There is already multi-tasking for 1 website alone - topic research, keywords, SEO, promoting on social media etc...
Thanks again, have a nice day and keep those rocket fuels burning! :)
Nicky, yes, somehow I believe there is more to the invisible communication than we can imagine ;-)
That's a great idea taking writing courses, that would be something to consider for me too. I think, I need a course in "get rid of the perfectionism", because that is really slowing me down.
Thank you for refueling my rocket propulsion units, gav me a new drive!
May your inspiration just flow out of your finger tips!
:-)
I love reading your comments and the space analogies, very refreshing and always lifting me up - pun intended ;)
Yes I really like taking online courses and learning new skills, I taught myself Python programming and now I've shifted my focus to writing classes. I find Udemy a really good platform with affordable courses.
Have a great day!
Love your comments too!
Having a day off from work today. Want to work on my website.
Udemy sounds great. Have to try it out.
Wish you a "sunshiny" day!
:-)
Sounds like you had an incredible time in Malaysia, Nicky.
Since you said you haven't developed your first site, I would recommend commit to following and completing all the lessons and tasks, and focus on just one site. It will never be perfect, but I'm certain that once you fully develop your website, there will be a time when it feels "just right" to start another.
Whether you want your site to be making you money or you're just providing information, you'll need to develop your writing skills.
All the best to you, Nicky.
Hi Veronica,
yes you're absolutely right. Creating content is where we should all focus when we're beginners, and that goes hand in hand with developing our writing skills!
I've signed up for some travel writing lessons in Udemy and they're really helpful, but it's one more thing for the to-do list while juggling the activities here in WA! My point is, if you want to be good there's so much already that you have to take care of, even for 1 website!
So I believe I'll follow your advice for now and keep working on my travel blog. It still bugs me though that's it's not hosted here so I can't see the achievements of "Google" and "First website" on my profile, lol.
Hey, Nicky!
Oh, I didn't know your website isn't hosted with WA.. It seems you've gotten some great input, so I hope you'll be able to come up with a plan that's just right for you.
Yes I really appreciate all these people that are way ahead of me, taking the time to advice me and share their experiences!
Well, my deadline of hosting with the other provider ends in September, so I'll just transfer my website here around August I guess! And I can always make a free siterubix website here, to learn the ropes of this platform at my spare time, and then figure it out from there (buy a domain name and convert that free siterubix one, if it's going well).
Glad you had a great time. I have only done one website at a time, but I don't see why you couldn't do two of them. Best of luck. Welcome back
Hi Pablo, thanks for your perspective and the wishes!
From what others have suggested here, I think when you're a newbie it's best to focus on one and give it your all (especially if you have a full time job which limits your free time). And when that's up and running, start on the 2nd which would be easier with all that experience you've gathered working on the 1st one.
Malaysia is a beautiful place. I presume you are talking about the mainland and not the Borneo portion!
Hi Michael,
yes I didn't expect to like it so much!
I only visited the mainland this time, since I only had 2 weeks and I enjoy slow travel, but I'm planning to return for Penang and the eastern islands and Borneo!
It is harder to try to juggle two. Naturally more work. Can it be done yes. I work in several niches that I like. You cannot fully develop both of them at the same time. One you put effort into get to making money and then you bring the other one along using what you learned.
Here is the good news. Once you get one profitable it is easier to develop the others. Trying to get to profitable at the same time but is does take a lot of work and is not near as easy as doing one.
Great point, Bo.
I've actually starting thinking of another niche or two, but I feel as if I have a long way to go before I can tart another site. I'm speaking more on developing consistent habits that will lead me to the results I want.
Thanks for the advice, Bo!
Of course it could be done, I understand that now, we can do whatever we put our minds to with hard work and determination! But we have to be realistic as well; for example, if your time is limited and you have to sacrifice sleep to work on 2 websites your work results will suffer on both of them, and you might find yourself hating the process - which totally defeats the point!
I have to get a job to support myself anyways, since I don't want to go through all my savings now that my teaching job has ended, so this means I'll have restricted free time again. And I want to feel excited every day about working on WA, not dread the time I sit to work because of the stress I'll have put on myself!
So, I guess I'll follow your advice and start with one, and then definitely branch from there with much more experience under my belt :)
Since I've always juggled multiple sites from the outset over 20 years ago, I don't know what it's like to focus on one site. That being said, it takes a very detail-oriented and organized person to successfully manage multiple businesses at the same time. Think of it like a franchisee with multiple locations (i.e., six McDonald's restaurants instead of one).
Well, of course you can, Mel, you're the Master! The rest of us mere mortals may find it a bit more difficult.
While that may be true (it's not), I can only speak from my perspective because it's the only one I've got experience with.
Ahhh.....going the humble route.....that's cool.
But in all seriousness, I know you speak from your own experience. In the end, we really just have to try different things and find what works best for us.
Thanks for your perspective!
It's as your username suggests, I guess; doing what we need to do on our own terms! :)
I can say the same about my many interests: "juggling" multiple small passions and interests for years, I don't know what it's like to only have one that consumes you!
But when it comes to monetizing and treating them as a business... that's where it can become a problem,and you need these skills of being detail-oriented and organized even for one site! I'm living off of savings right now so I can immerse myself fully in working online, but I suspect I will need to find at least a part time job until I start making some money online. You don't want to start hating your passions if you rely on them to put money on the table and they don't, after all!
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The advantage would be learning from the mistakes on your first niche, then applying those lessons to your main niche.