Image by Jeff Medaugh
I’m sure you are more successful than I am. I’m struggling to learn everything I can to make my online business a success.
I’m reading and learning everything I can about writing headlines, compelling content, social proof, and unique selling propositions. My dream is to make enough money selling my products online so that I can be location independent.
As I analyzed why I’m not living in my island paradise yet, the words from a song I loved growing up ran through my head. In the song ‘I’m Free’, (yes, I’m that old) Roger Daltrey sang this:
I’ve told you what it takes to reach the highest highs
You’d laugh and say nothing’s that simple.
But you’ve been told many times before
Messiahs pointed to the door
No one had the guts to leave the temple
I know what it takes to reach the highest high. I’ve seen the YouTube video telling me how.
The new messiahs are Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Brian Clark. I know where the door is.
I wonder if I’ve actually left the temple. Why haven’t I?
I have some ideas. Maybe these excuses are familiar to you too.
1. We’re Afraid of Failure
What happens if all of these great ideas don’t work? Then you have nothing to fall back on. It’s so much easier to look forward to the potential than to suffer through the failure. It’s easier to plan than it is to execute.
Excuse-Buster: We will never make anything happen if we don’t put it out there and try. Not trying will ensure failure. The more times we try, the better the chances of success.
2. We’re Afraid of Criticism
It hurts to be criticized. If we are doing something, we will be criticized. If we step up and speak out, if we offer our goods and services for sale, we will be criticized. No doubt about it. That hurts.
Excuse-Buster: The benefits of success, actually making some money, and making people happy, out weigh the pain of criticism. It’s easy to shake off a little criticism when we are reading the email from an excited fan or making a deposit in the bank.
3. We’re Lazy
This one is too easy to fall into. We want to find out who gets voted off tonight. We want to check Twitter one more time. We’re easily distracted. The hardest part of any task is the starting.
Excuse-Buster: There’s no easy answer for this one. Just get off your couch and go do it. If you can’t do that, then go work in a cube farm.
4. We’re Afraid We’re Not Good Enough
This is at the core. Because we are creative, we invest a little bit of ourselves into everything we do. It’s not just a job. It’s a piece of us. When we offer something for sale that we created, and it doesn’t sell, what does that say about us? People make judgements. They make judgements with their wallets. They make judgements about us.
Excuse-Buster: Except they really don’t. They don’t know us or care about us, not really. We are not our product. They are judging something, not someone. We need to keep our products separate from who we really are. We need to not get caught up in all that self identify drama. It’s just a cool product. Your value depends on who loves you, not on who buys your stuff.
Are you stuck in the temple? Have you learned it all and applied nothing? Are you afraid? So is everyone else. The only difference is that some people have had the guts to stand up and walk through the doors.
You know what to do. Quit reading. Quit listening to the MP3 interviews and watching YouTube. Put down the membership site and walk away.
Go out there and sell something. You can do it. What’s stopping you from taking the next step?
Well?
Do you recognize any of these four excuses in yourself?
What excuses would you add to the list?
How do you give your excuses the boot?
About the Author: Conrad Walton builds web sites, does SEO and internet marketing. He loves to help non-technical people by explaining technical things in easy to understand terms. You can read more at Walton Communications or follow him on Twitter at @conradwalton
View Comments (19)
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« Previous 1 2@Conrad, you're right, btw--in context of that song, Seth & Brian & Chris & Gary & a whole bunch more people continue to show us and tell us how to do what they're doing. They are indeed pointing to the door.
What's stopping me is the same as what Sue is saying: we've got the information. Now we just need to figure out how to implement what we know.
And, like Carole, I get lost in the sheer amount of information that I don't know where to start.
There's a blog article for you. "Where to Start When You're Neck-Deep in a Pit of Information." One step at a time, I'm learning. You have to start one step at a time.
@Conrad and Mark: wish there was an "undo" button for real-life (and leaving comments ;))
Wow, Conrad - two guest posts in a few days, you're breaking the mold you talk about.
Yes, too many subscribes, too many recordings, too much information. In the end, it comes down to having the confidence and nerve to go out there and just do it. Learn from our mistakes, eat humble pie if we have to (had to do some of that myself this weekend,) form the band and learn to play the instruments later.
And we can't do that if we other people's music playing in our heads.
Excellent!!
Have realised that its all true of what ever you have said above listening mp3,watching youtube videos,checking twitter but not doing the thing what i want to do!!
I think i need to start doing without caring the end result i guess ...build it and ship it is the mantra maybe!!
I really like the temple analogy. I think I understand most of what our Messiahs have had to teach us. I've gather even more through just my own studies, and reading other great blogs.
Yet, this knowledge is worthless without application. That is the biggest trick to success. So many people know what to do, but they just don't put in the trial-and-error to get it done. Sometimes because they don't realize it is trial-and-error, with a big emphasis on the ERROR.
Great piece! I hope to be reading more from you soon!
Conrad, you're on fire! I think I've employed all those excuses at some point. Nice song selection, too. (I'm also that old.) Thanks for lighting a fire under my sorry ass!
Great article Conrad, I always like what Robert Kennedy said: "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." Wise words indeed.
Very well said, Conrad. It's epidemic, and I'm as guilty as the next guy. Perhaps we should start an e-course and membership site to address this problem. :-)
I would add a 5th point: "I Don't Understand X Well Enough Yet" - Where X is SEO, blogging, landing pages, aweber, youtube, PPC, AdWords, social media, H1 tags, or anything else we think is holding us back from true enlightenment and fanatical motivation. We keep hoping that the next thing we read will complete the picture, trigger an epiphany, and magically light the path to glorious success.
Excuse-buster: By the time you understand everything perfectly, it will have changed. You cannot learn to swim by watching fish, you must get in the water. Mistakes will be made, so the sooner you get out and start making them the sooner you will learn from them and improve.
I had my magical moment (see link), but it wasn't the "total understanding and true enlightenment" that I was secretly hoping for, it was more of a Nike moment ("just do it!").
And that was a blessing!
Marvelous post! Each point is dead on.
As a serial entrepreneur who is in the midst of taking my most recent business (Nancy's Bar-B-Q) to the next level (opening a restaurant after 5+ years of offering catering and delivery--I started out selling my 'Q on the side of the road), I can say I have stepped out of the temple, and am better for it!
THANK YOU for your reinforcing message.