Simplifying the complicated is much more difficult than it might seem! An online business, for example, is complicated really. There’s multiple things to consider when building an income online. But once you have set up your marketing funnel and have products to sell, it’s fairly simple. The only thing you need do is focus on your marketing strategy.
When you’re in the beginning phase though, there’s lots more to think about. You wonder about what product/s to sell and how you’re going to sell them. You consider using paid marketing or whether to create content instead. It can all get completely overwhelming in the first instance which is why so many affiliates struggle to make any money online at all!
Dealing with overwhelm is done a small thing at a time. One of the best things you can do for your online business, and your life, is simplify it somehow. That’s done by taking a step by step approach.
Simplifying The Complicated – Step By Step
When you decide to take on a big project such as building an online business, you need to focus on the next step and only that. It’s too easy to get bogged down in indecision and overwhelm. Just recently I’ve found myself in a near constant state of overwhelm. Nothing has got done, nothing! In fact I’ve procrastinated for months because I’ve simply been juggling too many ideas in my head, and trying to do too many projects all at once!
The deadly social media platforms had me sucked in too. That’s what they are designed to do – suck you in. They are like an evil vortex and they’ll completely suck away your life if you allow it!
Of course the last few years haven’t been typical either and they’ve brought more of their fair share of anxiety to even the most grounded of people. But when the dust settles it’s back to the “grindstone” as the saying goes – although there’s probably a more positive spin on that! For me that means picking up my blogging again, which I have to say I have neglected for some time due to stress, a break up, a house move, money worries and various other things I’ve been juggling to keep mind and soul together!
Simplifying The Complicated – When Calamity Strikes, Start Again!
There’s no way of stopping calamity striking. When it does, sometimes the best thing you can do is to start again. Only this time, you’re better prepared and better informed. In my best moments with this online business I was writing posts I was passionate about. I enjoyed the process. But having been under fire financially lately I wasn’t in a fit state to do so! I had to find work and blogging took a back seat.
I’ve known other online business owners have problems too. It’s definitely not all plain sailing. In a business you have to do the work first, before you get paid! So the passion has to be the driver. When it’s not there, your business is dead in the water!
What inspires me about this online business journey is that it isn’t easy. I always get bored in a steady job because there’s no risk! Big rewards come with risks. As the SAS (Special Air Service) motto says, he “Who Dares Wins” – and also Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses (A UK sitcom)!
When Life Knocks You Down – Get Up Again
When life knocks you down, you can only get up again. The Japanese have a saying that looks like this:
It says “fall down seven times stand up eight“: Nana korobi, ya oki.
Since 8 is more than 7, the expression conveys a really strong will to get up after the fall. It means never give up!
I had a martial arts teacher once tell me that “most people’s minds are a mess”. There’s a lot of truth in it. After a fall, your mind is a mess. To get clear is the beginning. Then you only need to take a single next step. You can’t figure everything out all at once when you’re in a state of flux. So take some baby steps forwards and do only what is necessary when you are struggling. When you’re running on all cylinders, things can run more quickly when you know which direction you’re travelling in!
Summary
This post has been a bit of a rant but the purpose for me was to get back on the “horse” writing my blog posts again, which I used to enjoy so much! After a lot of confusion and flux in my life, I struggled to get back to the daily tasks which I had set myself. My good habits completely died.
I was confused and anxious about the future. The result was little to no effort on my behalf as I watched my online business dwindle! It just shows how important your mental health and well being are in life. The last few years have thrown a lot of curve balls at many people, me included.
The conclusion I would like to draw is to keep your head, above all things. Focus on the things you can control, and not the things you can’t! Simplify things in your life, but in your head first, since that’s where all your activity starts!
“Simplifying the complicated” really means keeping a focus on what’s important. In the last year I have forgotten this and became distracted with too much other stuff I can’t control.
Unless you keep your head, you’ll complicate everything. Particularly in business, you need your head to be in a good, focused state of being. This is something worth nurturing and avoiding distraction is one of the main things you can do to help with this, particularly in the internet age as we are being bombarded with contradictory messaging.