I have no idea what I'm doing.
I know, I'm supposed to be the expert, right? I'm the guy who wrote a best-selling book on earning money with AdSense, and another top-seller on Twitter. I've built a gaming site that was sold to Yahoo! and put together content sites that each deliver five-figure incomes in advertising revenue.
If I don't know what I'm doing, who does?
Sure, I know how to make AdSense work for me. I know how to use Twitter to build and maintain a community, and I've figured out all sorts of different ways to make the Internet go Ka-Ching.
But I've never felt that I know everything. There's always more to learn, more to discover and more to figure out.
I can still remember the moment when I sat down and created my first website. I had no clue what to do, how to do it, or what I was supposed to do after I'd done it. It was a scary moment - but it was an exciting one too. I knew that I was on the verge of something big, and while it might take me time and effort to reach the point when creating a website and pulling money out of it feels like second nature, figuring out how to get there was going to be a ride.
I'm still enjoying that ride. Each time I set a new goal for my business, I know that I'm going to have to overcome challenges, figure things out again and test out different approaches to see which work the best.
Of course, I get to draw on the knowledge I've built up from the years I've been on the Web. I now have a team of talented people around me who can contribute their own ideas and shorten the time it takes to reach our goal. But every new start and every change to a business is still a little bit scary -- and very exciting.
Whether you're now building your first website or in the process of growing an established business, those butterflies in your tummy - and yes, the confusion in your head -- are something to treasure. They tell you you're about to learn something new and something valuable.
What are your thoughts? Please leave your comments below.
Oh, and one more thing. To find out what I AM doing, why not let me send you a copy of my 24-page full color magazine, The Top One Report.
Good to see that just because of your success you don't think you know everything.
There is always something new to learn, the world changes everyday, so what you knew yesterday may not be right anymore.
I'm a newbie and I get excited when I learn a new SEO trick, and wordpress hack that's saves me time..lol
Great Post.
Great post for a Monday, Joel. Thank you for the peek behind the curtain. It's reassuring to know that those that we look up to also have these thoughts.
Keep Cooking (whether you know the recipe or not)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
great post,
it is a great that you have ability to grow
and be scared sometimes.
somebody said:
" it is nice to have an end to journey at the toward,
but it is the journey that matters in the end "
would be a nice to have a team to share, get new ideas...
Great Post! Looking forward to getting my first copy of The Top One Report Joel. I think it was Martin Luther King who said
"you don't need to see the whole stair case, just the first step." This quote reminds me of your post.
I would like to add to that quote, "you only need to see where you are going, just not necessarily the each step that is going to take you there."
Yes, I can never agree with you more, Joel!
1. Creating a website is an exciting and enjoyable ride in itself.
2. There's always more to learn, more to discover and more to figure out in an online business.
To our exciting and enjoyable journey of learning on the internet
Andy Kong
It's good to know that the very successful are mere mortals like the rest of us! Although I have been online for some time, I date my "start" to January of this year - that is when I decided that internet marketing is my profession, that I need to learn, to apply, to progress. What I found was that the "application" part of all of this was the most important, it built mental IM muscles. The goal I had set for myself has yet to be realized, I now know that it was merely one that was a "wish" goal as I plucked it out of thin air ... but boy oh boy, am I ever on the right track!
As the month continues to roll towards the start of the new year, I am reviewing the year, and now making goals based on hard data ... of course, they are challenging. I have a new project which scares the living daylights out of me ... I am confident that it will be a success.
Going for massive action in 2010. Of course massive action is relative, but for me it will be that.
best............valentina
Hi Joel,
That's the most common sense thing I've read in awhile.
In other words, replace overwhelm with the excitement of discovery. If, in my early years of online marketing, I'd done one thing at a time and learned it well, my overwhelm factor would have been greatly reduced. As important, had I just funneled my excitement instead of frustration, things would have come more easily. I'm sure glad I didn't quit.
I still get tickled at what we can now do so easily that used to take hours and up to thousands of dollars to implement and now we do it with a few clicks and far less dollars.
I did learn to outsource, but now we have Wordpress and templates and easy-to-use autoresponders that anyone can easily use.
For those of us who've been at this awhile it starts to sound like stories dad told; "When I was your age I had to. . ." Fill in the blank.
As one of the pioneers in this business when you talk or write, I listen (and even buy)
Write on!
Tom Justin
Joel,
I can only Imagine what it is like for someone like you.... Because the bar is raised so bleeeping high...
What are you most happy about in you life right now Joel?
Best,
Brian-
Wow Joel, that was really refreshing to read! Sometimes I feel so dang lost (although i am having a small measure of success), I feel like everyone else knows more than me and I'm just playing "catch up", but your post shows me that all of us are still in the learning process. It never ends if you want to further your success! THANKS!
The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know.
Once I started to read all the books in my local library.
I started at A..
A book called "how German is it" or similar stopped me.
Meanwhile I had read a lot of russian authors.
One day I have to find out why that book stopped me.
Later, as I got older and wiser, I realized that I can't read
all the books in the world because the books get written faster
than I can read them.
It was a dissappointing moment.
Another question is: What do you want to learn today?
You don't always get to choose, but if I could I would
like to learn to be more patient.
Focused comes as a good second.
I will however most likely learn that change is hard,
but only time will tell. Maybe I'll surprise myself. :)
Nice email Joel. I will try out the Top One Report. Conitue the good work. God bless!
Uyi Abraham is the CEO and founder of Zofaa Communications (Zofaa.com), which is a premier provider of voice broadcasting software, phone messaging, unlimited toll free & local numbers, virtual call centers, click to call and email & text marketing.
For more info about me and my company, please visit http://www.zofaa.com or call 1 888 537 5315
Hello Joel,
I started my first website in February of 2009 and am about at the quantity of unique visitors to place Adsense Ads on my site. My site is a work in progress and I have another one to start next February.
It is a constant learning experience which is a good thing.
It is nice to see that you had to grow into the business.
Good Luck!
Chris
Hey Joel
Great to see lam not the only one who gets butterfly's at time for sure totally agree it can all be over top of our minds with info overload, great to see top internet marketer like your self been the honest salt and light not only to the internet marketing industry but to the world keep up the great work mate.
From Germany
-------------
I was found your Videos at the right time.
I am handycapped with my eyes, just sleep a few hours every day because working and lerning computer about internet buisness.
Two times in this year I had infact my eyes, because i can jist see 10% with my eyes.
But you know what?
I never give up and I get many motivation from your videos, Joel!
Thanks a lot!
I just know the Basics in Internet buisness, but in a few years i am sure an expert!
I cant understand people ho healthy and dont gtb try! So letßs go everybody, make your dreams come true! :-)
So, thank you again, Joel!
Best wishes from Germany.
"Sorry my bad english! :-)"
Ralf
Great post Joel! I love the timing too! I'm reading failing forward by John C. Maxwell right now and having a mindset that continues to learn and grow in every area of your life is important.
Your either growing or dying and you are definitely growing! Keep up the posts! I love learning from someone so successful and impactful as yourself!
p.s. please get the "digg digg" plugin! I want to share your posts on twitter!
David
What can I do for getting many income from my blog
Hey Joel:
You have done a lot that will help me to understand things. I am going to play with all the information that you have provided me. I will open the doors for other who are batter then me but don't know from where to start it because of you.
Keep it up.
Your student
Naveed
Great post, Joel.
This couldn't have been received in a better time. I too am dealing with things for my new website that is so new to me. I have mixed feelings about it, but I have a great amount of optimism going forward. This post really summed up what is going on inside me at the moment.
Thanks so much for this post, and off to building the site I go again. ;)
This is one of those posts that makes one think. Been pondering what I'll learn today and the answer is *nothing* -- which means it's time to start using my time more effectively and doing more learning in the time that's available.
Well.. considering what I've typed I guess something's been learned today?! lol.. thanks Joel :D
Yes you described how it feels when going and exploring new territory. That is what the internet is about. It is all new territory.
Thanks Joel
This is one of the finest emails I've received.
I have been trying to optimzie my website for Adsense earnings and am always amazed about learning newer things from unexpected sources.
Hope to hear from you regularly. Thank you!
Hello Joel, this is my ever first comment to you. I'm a newbies internet user. And i just build a website as you said there are confusions that what should we do and shouldn't. But i'll say that you know more than any one and every one should know in what they willing to know. But i would thanks to you for your tips and directions to managing the online stuffs. We all (joel's followers) are thanks to alot for every things that you have shared with us. Even i also want to be as you. As i always thinking that what will be my next step? You are geniuse joel! Thanks.
http://www.fatmusic.info
Hi Joel,
I've got your ebook on adsense but havent finish reading it yet. I'm a newbie & sometimes I dont get the picture .
My worldpress blog is on the version 2.8.6 -http://health-help2u.com/blog
My question is how do I insert adsense into my blog here? I'm thinking of inserting it in between my blog like you mention in your ebook and also at the side bar
I also have a blogger a/c - http://healthytipstoshare.blogspot.com and I have no problem inserting adsense here.
I understand not all plugin are compatible.
Can you help me?
Thanks
Hi, Joel, it has been a rough year, I brought out some websites and believe I had my commissions swiped when I was an affiliate google ambush on google-ambush.net, had a full on add campaign and plenty of traffic but not one sales commission. then I had my 14 month old baby pass on from this world on june 5th ,for heart related issues. That pretty much took the wind out of my sales so here I am trying the other side of the coin with adsense.any help would be appreciated. checkout cheap food for hard times!
sincerely, Robert
Nice article and humility is always an admirable quality,helps to keep things balanced. Happpy Holidays
Join the club!
I'm 53, and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Right now I am planning what I'm going to do in 2010, most of it is already in place and as usual I know that most of it will work. it ALWAYS does because I follow the time tested formula of ongoing learning, and giving up front benefit. However, I'm only 15% to 20% effective at best!
The problem is I love what I do so much that I am easily distracted, I often lose the plot, take my eyes off the ball for a moment and find myself doing things that are great fun and probably new learning curves, but they don't end up making money!
My wife says I am HIGHLY effective at learning and producing non-profit generating projects which is probably true. If I had the discipline to follow my own plans I would become highly efficient-but probably also very boring.
Doing what you feel like doing is the best part of being a lifestyle entrepreneur. I simply love what I'm doing and can't get up early enough in the morning to get started, and still find it hard to believe I am generating an enviable ongoing income at doing what I enjoy most.