How Do you Know You're Heading In The Right Direction?

[Karl619]

Hi wonderful people!

So I read the book and joined the forum 1 and half years ago.

Fast forward a year and a half..

I've cut my personal debt in half, I've sold my first private label product that made a small profit, I've made a few hundred dollars copywriting, I've started implementing the mircale morning routine and I meditate daily. I've taken several udemy courses on social media marketing and I've read numerous books on business, marketing and personal development.

Since then I know that I've improved my knowledge and I've taken some action. However, I know that I'm nowhere near reaching my potential and therefore getting frustrated with myself.

I have so many ideas but struggle to focus my energy on one thing. Does therein lie the problem?

I always see brutal honesty on this forum and I absolutely welcome that with an open mind and heart.

So how do YOU know that you're progressing and should I see my last year and half as progress?

 

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[Amon]

Every moment you actively use to gain further knowledge or better yourself in some way is progress.

I think you need to be putting in more time into one of your crafts (copywriting or social media).

You know you’re headed in the right direction when you’re doing what so many people are afraid to do: moving forward. It’s not easy or safe, but it’s the only thing that gets you heading in a direction at all. Just don’t forget to take that first step.

 

[Coalission]

Since then I know that I've improved my knowledge and I've taken some action. However, I know that I'm nowhere near reaching my potential and therefore getting frustrated with myself.

Any progress is better than no progress, so kudos for taking action. That being said, I think your problem is either you don't know what you want, or you're dabbling in different things until you find something easy enough to live on.

How did you go from selling a private label product profitably to copywriting for money? Which one do you want to be, a vendor or a copywriter, or neither? Nothing wrong with either, but until you solidify your vision and commit, you'll keep dabbling.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

So how do YOU know that you're progressing and should I see my last year and half as progress?

Yes. Sounds like you are improving daily. It's the small things that eventually make the big things.

 

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[RMarques]

What helped big time for myself was starting at the end and working backwards.
I visualized and defined what my ideal life looks like and decided that I would do more things that serve that life and less of the things that take away from that vision.

 

[Roli]

Hi wonderful people!

So I read the book and joined the forum 1 and half years ago.

Fast forward a year and a half..

I've cut my personal debt in half, I've sold my first private label product that made a small profit, I've made a few hundred dollars copywriting, I've started implementing the mircale morning routine and I meditate daily. I've taken several udemy courses on social media marketing and I've read numerous books on business, marketing and personal development.

Since then I know that I've improved my knowledge and I've taken some action. However, I know that I'm nowhere near reaching my potential and therefore getting frustrated with myself.

I have so many ideas but struggle to focus my energy on one thing. Does therein lie the problem?

I always see brutal honesty on this forum and I absolutely welcome that with an open mind and heart.

So how do YOU know that you're progressing and should I see my last year and half as progress?

The key thing you mentioned there, is that you're learning AND taking action. It is easy to confuse learning for action, however you're not. Don't be too harsh on yourself, Rome wasn't built in a day; and as you know, you have to work for years to become an overnight success

 

[Karl619]

Thank you all for your helpful and insightful comments, you all deserve rep!

And wow, thank you MJ for your input. Small progress is better than no progress.

My plan of action is

1) Continue to reduce my debt ( I've already transferred my existing debts onto a 0% interest credit card that I'll pay off in less than 2 years),
2) Continue to take steps forwards with my learning, action and earnings. I'll focus on my copywriting skills and ecommerce as this is where I've already made my first dollars and enjoyed the process,
3) Be grateful that I've decided to change my life and for the progress I've made so far,
4) Enjoy the journey.

 

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[mrarcher]

I can't speak from all out success only from what I've experienced so far but I think a business is a lot like a marriage.
It starts just testing the waters as a girlfriend. Until something happens and you realise "This is the one!" You get a fire in your belly and you cant rationally explain it but you just know, everything is falling into place. Like every marriage its not perfect. It comes with frustration, tears, anger, angst, depression and sheer panic.
But behind all that is a burning obsession, you find yourself daydreaming about the work you're going to do. You come up with new ideas on your down time. You feel a genuine excitement for the boring stuff. (Think cuddling on the sofa, Not the most fun thing with your girlfriend but when the kids are in bed after a long day its just great.)
It's hard, oh man it's hard but the journey towards greatness is an accolade in itself, you work through the hard times because of that fire in your belly which tells you that its going to work. If its the one and you know, don't give up, ever. Sometimes you'll want to but sometimes when its hard and not working it's not a matter of changing the woman but changing what you are doing.

 

[SquatchMan]

I don't know you.
I don't know what you've done.
I've only read 4 paragraphs about you.

I have one thing to say:

If you don't think you've done enough, then you haven't done enough...

So get off the forum right now and add value to someone else's life.

 

[GoodluckChuck]

1. Write down life goals
2. Break them down into smaller pieces
3. Break down further into bite size pieces
4. Start taking bites
5. You should be able to measure your progress and see how far you've gone and how far you have yet to go.
6. Then you won't have to ask others if you're making progress because you'll know exactly where you're at.

 

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[Duane]

You'll never know if you're progressing or not if you've no vision of where you want to be.

Create a vision, I'd write it down on paper of how you want to live your life and what impact you want to leave on the world (aka what problem are you going to solve).

Then work everyday towards making that vision a reality. It becomes a lot easier to see if you're progressing then.

 

[GlobalWealth]

For me it sounds like you've made great progress.

You've cut your debt, you established some routine, you are improving your mind with books and meditation, you are working your businesses.

The thing I see that needs improvement is your patience.

All those overnight successes you read about take 10+ years to achieve that success.

Improve a little bit everyday.

Don't judge yourself by another's benchmark - you don't know their real story.

Take your time.

Enjoy the process because success is when you are working towards your goals.


Sent from my SM-G900FD using Tapatalk

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

Since then I know that I've improved my knowledge and I've taken some action. However, I know that I'm nowhere near reaching my potential and therefore getting frustrated with myself.

You're underestimating how much time it takes to be successful. As long as you're on the right path, then keep going.

I have so many ideas but struggle to focus my energy on one thing. Does therein lie the problem?

Partly. To start, it's worth having many ideas and figuring out which one is most likely to be a success. Once you've identified where to concentrate your energy, then concentrate it only on that idea.

So how do YOU know that you're progressing and should I see my last year and half as progress?

This is the hardest part, because progress starts extremely slow, and then exponentiates. Meanwhile, while you're still starting out, society, family, and friends all cast doubts on your progress - whether that be direct or indirect.

In my opinion, it's easiest when you have a mentor that helps you manage your psyche. You tell him where you're at, and where you want to be. Then he tells you whether or not you're on the right track and gives you the big picture.

A couple threads that can help you. The first is about choosing who is and isn't giving you feedback: Rant - Your Parents Probably Aren't Qualified to Give You Advice

And this one so that you question what it is that you want out of life. Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Or do you just want to be debt-free and comfortable? Notable! - I rather be a failed entrepreneur than an average employee that never took a risk

 

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[Yoda]

I feel like people overthink this. If you don't feel like you're going in the wrong direction, then you're probably fine.

Life is not always going to give you positive feedback, so stop looking for it.

Think about your car. Let's say you perform all the maintenance perfectly: oil changes, tires, brakes, shocks, etc. You get your car to 100,000 miles!

Now your engine goes bust. Pistons and rods are shot, block has a slight crack. She's dead Jim.

Feedback would say you didn't do what you were supposed to do. So... Were you doing everything wrong the whole time? No.

Have a little perspective.​

You might look at your car and think, damn, what a clunker. I did all this and get no love?

Or you could look back and think, damn, I did a lot the last 5 years. I wonder what the next 5 will hold...

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Ever read the book The War of Art?

It's a simple book, and a quick read. But it's got an amazing message.

The message is basically, "are you pushing through resistance?"

For me that means, am I facing challenges head on? Or am I avoiding the things that are difficult?

The easiest example's are: ever feel resistance/laziness before a workout? Or nervousness before meeting with someone important? Or self-doubt before talking to someone attractive? Or fear before trying something new with business?

THAT'S resistance.

I've found that if I am aware of that resistant feeling, and I push through and do whatever it is anyway, that's where I make the most gains in life.

In other words, if I feel resistance, I'm on the right track and need to keep going.

Edit:

I have so many ideas but struggle to focus my energy on one thing. Does therein lie the problem?

Resistance ^^^^^

 

[Roli]

Thank you all for your helpful and insightful comments, you all deserve rep!

And wow, thank you MJ for your input. Small progress is better than no progress.

My plan of action is

1) Continue to reduce my debt ( I've already transferred my existing debts onto a 0% interest credit card that I'll pay off in less than 2 years),
2) Continue to take steps forwards with my learning, action and earnings. I'll focus on my copywriting skills and ecommerce as this is where I've already made my first dollars and enjoyed the process,
3) Be grateful that I've decided to change my life and for the progress I've made so far,
4) Enjoy the journey.

Good one, add a number 5) search the forum for the GSD (Trello) system, it stands for Get Shit Done; sorry I can't remember who it was by, however I implemented it and it has revolutionised my organisational skills, I highly recommend it.

 

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