It Just Takes Action

When it comes to the internet, to social media, or really any endeavor the key is to just take action and keep moving forward, no matter how slow the progress seems. Most of us don’t wake up one morning and send out a tweet to find out a few hours later we have thousands of followers. Those stories are reserved for celebrities and marketers that have already spent years building a list that they can market to. Most of us take the little steps fighting and clawing for every friend, every follower and every site visitor we get.

Do not be daunted by these stories of overnight success where they are counting in thousands and you are counting individuals. Set your goals and measure yourself against those goals. If you hope to succeed you must clearly define what you hope to accomplish and focus on those tasks every day until you reach your destination. Your success in establishing a presence online is no different than you establishing a presence in your own life. Clearly define where you are at, where you are going, and how you plan to get there and before you know it you will look back and be amazed at how far you have come.

This is fine in theory, but you may be worried about the practical. This is a valid concern when you start down a path you have never traveled before. So, before you attempt to jump into the shallow end head first, take some time to establish your plan of action. Get a pad of paper and find a quiet place where you will not be distracted. Don’t do this in front of the computer or at the local coffee shop. You are going to want to gives this your undivided attention.

First, establish who you are and what you have. Are you a mother, a father, an employee, or an entrepreneur? Do you have a knack for cooking, cleaning, hiking? Whatever it is, write it down. This is not your want or dream list. This is your reality list. This helps you establish where you are at right now, we will worry about where you are headed next.

Second, you need to establish where you want to go. This is the big “WHY?”. You really need to take some time and figure out why you want to attain your goal. This should not be some stock answer like more money or because of family. You don’t want money, it is just green paper. There has to be something you want that money to buy. It also isn’t “family” because that isn’t concrete, just way to vague. Do you want to spend more time with them or do you want to provide something to them? Be as specific as possible in your goal. Also, don’t worry about this “why” being some great cause. Your “why” might just be that you enjoy doing something and you think it would be fun to share it with others who do, or would, like it to.

Finally, map the course. If you have taken the time to really do the steps above, you know where you are at and you know where you are headed and you should be able to clearly see what you need to do. If you need to create a blog but currently don’t know how, then part of your route is learning how to create a blog (hint: Google is your friend).

It really is that simple. Know where you are, know where you are going, and just take that first step along the path. There is one key I have left out above, you need to focus on this path every day. Set aside time, at least 10 minutes, to sit down and look at where you are at along the path and where you still need to go. By starting out your day with a focus on your goals you have a clearer sense of what needs to be done. At the end of each day review how it went and what you can still do to improve. By starting and ending your day with this focus you are well on your way to success in whatever you have chosen to focus on.