Wednesday, May 28, 2008

What's Your Motivation for Making Money Online?

THINKING of quitting your job (and firing your boss) forever and making a decent living online? Internet marketing success is not just about getting the right tools but having the right mindset, the right motivation.

My friends (some of whom have had very successful 'normal' careers) and I came to this conclusion after having toyed with the idea of starting an online business.

Our conclusion: To be a successful internet marketer, you must first be HUNGRY.

A number of the self-claimed millionaire internet marketing gurus were dead broke when they first started their internet business. They were very, very hungry for success. They had to be if they were so dead broke and almost ready to rob the bank.

If you're thinking of making money online, do you think you're hungry enough to make it a success? Are there strong push factors in your life that will make making a living online an attractive alternative?

Answering these questions may help you to get a clearer picture:

  • Do you like the idea of working under a boss for the rest of your life?

  • Do you want the same standard paycheck year after year?

  • Are you happy to continue living more or less the same lifestyle for as long as you live?

  • Would you want to stay in debt for the next 20, 30, 40 years?

No?

Now, are you hungry enough to really want to change all or most of the above?

If you're not sure, just close your eyes and visualize what the future would look like if you're forever working under a mean boss, taking home more or less the same pay, living more or less the same standard of living, and working long hours paying off the debt.

That's not the kind of life I want to live.

My own motivation for wanting to make money online is fear. That's right, FEAR.

It's the fear of losing my regular job at work. It's the fear of being overly dependent on one single source of income. It's the fear of being made redundant by cheaper foreign labor. But I'm also motivated by the desire to inspire others with what I write and what better (and cheaper) way to reach out to a large audience than the internet. And you can turn what you write (blogging like what I'm doing now) into a profitable venture if you get the internet marketing basics right.

Knowing what your key motivation is - is an important first step in your dream of making money online a reality. Your key motivations will give you strong powerful reasons NOT to give up when your online marketing efforts are not showing the outcome you want.

Before you start thinking of the tools you need to make money online, think about your answers to these three questions.

  1. What are my key motivations for wanting to make money online? (translate: self-empowerment is key to success)

  2. Am I hungry enough to want to make it work? (translate: you've got to it enough to put in focused time and effort)

  3. Am I willing to invest in my learning? (translate: learn the 'tricks of the trade' from successful internet marketers)

I recalled what one very successful internet entrepreneur said at an internet marketing seminar. You must have compelling reasons for wanting to be a successful internet marketer and make money online. He described a successful internet marketer as someone who is hungry to improve his or lot in life and is highly driven by these motivations:


  • To improve one's lifestyle exponentially

  • To enjoy the freedom to choose where one works

  • To be free from the worries about petty cash and daily expenses

  • To have control over one's life

  • To be able to enjoy life on one's own terms

  • To have the freedom to travel whereever and whenever you want

The successful internet marketer is so singularly focused on achieving some or all of the above that he or she will take decisive action now. It's okay to start with small goals and small victories. The important decision is to start now.

Ewen Chia of Autopilot Profits had this to say about his phenomenal success as an internet marketer on his website: "I'm a fulltime dad with a fulltime marketing job ... that does not deter an ordinary guy like me from having a successful internet business. The most important tools to 'making it' are determination, commitment and having a definite plan to success."

What's your key motivation to make money online? Are you hungry enough to want to make a living online?


Share your thoughts on this blog!


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