The last job I had was analyzing and managing investments in the financial services industry.
Now, to do this work effectively it was really important to analyze company financial statements and stock market information to make decisions.
Luckily, I do have a naturally analytical mindset so I was able to perform my duties effectively and enjoy the process too.
However, whilst this was an advantage in my last job it became a real disadvantage when I started my online business.
I found that I was over-thinking virtually all aspects of what I was doing with the result that progress took much longer than it should have done.
I recently heard an interview with a very successful web entrepreneur who said that the people who were most successful tended to be ones used to following orders. Ex-military people or manual workers in particular seemed to do very well online.
I’ve now seen hundreds of people suffer from over-thinking exactly as I did. It’s incredibly easy to think yourself into a situation of indecision or “analysis-paralysis”.
Has this happened to you? If so, here are some things NOT to worry about when you’re starting out:
- Getting the “perfect” domain name for your website
- Which WordPress theme looks best for your site
- People hacking into your download pages and getting your products for free (just leave them unsecure for now – hardly anyone will hack them and the ones that do won’t buy anything from you anyway)
- Fancy graphics for your site (leave it until later or spend 15 minutes submitting a job to fiverr or oDesk)
- Long term business planning and how you’re going to build out your product portfolio (things change so quickly that this planning is almost always pointless)
- Unrelated “Biz op” distractions that can send you completely off course with what you are doing
- Which bank you should choose for a Merchant Account (just use PayPal or Clickbank as I did – both can be set up in a matter of hours)
- Creating a “War and Peace” free gift to build your list (instead start with a 4-5 page eBook which will take you less than a week to compile, working 1 hour per day)
All of these examples can be fixed and improved later on. But ONLY once you have set up the basic foundations of your business and got it off the ground.
Remember the Golden Formula: Find a profitable niche that you’re interested in > Build an email list of prospects > Create trust and market high-value products to that list.
The real truth is that 99% of the time quick and dirty solutions really do work and the vast majority of successful people are also the ones who just get on and implement them rather than allowing themselves to get bogged down in the detail.
Have you suffered from over-thinking as I have? Drop a comment below and let me know. All comments, questions, good or bad are most welcome… 🙂
Hello Rob.
I have to say it applies to me as well. I tend to start off great, do everything I am supposed to do then something happens. I do not know why but it nearly always happens, I get distracted with everything else going on around me instead of staying focussed. I need to concentrate on getting as much traffic as possible to my site and building that all important list. Information overload is incredible, I need to ignore my emails or I won’t get anything done.
Have a great day.
Ray
Hi Ray,
I totally concur with your experience here. I top tip is to physically log out of your email account so you’re not even tempted to “just check your emails”. I do this personally and it has definitely helped!
Rob
Hi Rob
Yet again you have come up with a list that I think most erstwhile information marketers could identify with.
Following all your good advice I have now resolved to STAY FOCUSED
I am currently working on my main website pages in order to build a list by giving away self-help books which are in the public domain.
My next step will be to work through your suggested methods of getting traffic.
I’m glad that you appear to be of the opinion to ‘Do Something’ then fine tune later.
Thanks for this post
Ken
You’re very welcome Ken.
Obviously I don’t know all the details but on the face of it it sounds like you have exactly the right plan there. If you’ve got a list of prospect then you literally only have to write an email to make money. The trouble is most people never get to that stage because they’re still worrying about whether their website should be green or blue!
Cheers – Rob
You’re right, Rob.
As I show people how to attract 4- and 5-figure clients to their business, quite a few get too caught up with the small details, and then often sacrificing the big money.
Good message, Rob.
Des
Hi Des,
Great to see you here – thanks so much for contributing 🙂
Yes, the details can be a real killer. Those details can often get you 5-10% more in conversions and profits but only AFTER you’ve set up the solid foundations.
I sometimes think our brains are wired backwards when it comes to this! As I mentioned in the post I have been guilty of this as much as anyone in the past but just being aware of the problem is half way to solving the challenge.
Cheers, Rob.
P.S. I just clicked on the link in your comment Des and I’m very pleased to see you’re building a list! 😉
Dear Rob,
Said very right. First it start with overloaded information across internet-MAKE MONEY ONLINE; then you “at last” draw out some mental space to think and somehow decide to do “something” being excited by the overwhelming information by Great GURUs (sometimes one could feel guilty of himself if doesn’t take a step though it only registering the domain name..!!)
Hey…Just kidding of myself..
It took me so long before building up my first site. But believe me it earned me nothing. Now, I have decided to go as you said with your posts right from the beginning. I working on a site and hopefully it should work for me.
Thanks.
Hi Any,
Thanks for your comment and the points you make, great to see you here on the blog!
Kind regards,
Rob
Hi Rob
Yep, I had to laugh when I saw the first two bullet points: ‘Getting the “perfect” domain name for your website’and ‘Which WordPress theme looks best for your site’.
Had to tick boxes for those as spent a couple of hours last week on these very tasks… And have been already thinking about the payment side although I haven’t even got a website or anything to sell. Silly, yes. Also have been agonising myself over whether to have a blog or a website…
Your article has just made my priorities a lot clearer. Cheers!
Hi Kati,
I included those because I remember spending an entire week (maybe more) early last year on the theme for this blog (I chose Thesis in the end). A TOTAL waste of time…
You’re definitely not alone – trust me!
Good luck with your projects and let me know if I can help you with anything.
Rob
Thanks for that article Rob. I have just started with a mentor and I hade some of the same questions this morning. What I have decided to do though is to take my time and grasp each information that I have because it seems to get overwhelming at times.
Talk soon.
Voilet
Hi Voilet,
Having a mentor is a GREAT thing so well done on that! The chances of online success are much higher when you have proper guidance but it’s the same in other fields, acting, sports, whatever.
The overwhelm is really a right of passage I’m afraid but stick with it. You’ll quickly be able to get ahead of the game by investing your own time learning and implementing. It’s a lot of fun too (if you actively choose to enjoy it rather than seeing it as a constant battle!).
Give me a shout on email if you would like any help or advice.
Cheers – Rob
I know where you are coming from.
I’ve got a habit of having too many projects i want to do.
Got off course yesterday looking into filling out surveys, an wasting several hrs piddling with it.
I’ve got 85 domains sitting around 38 of them Premium Forex domains getting up and with For Sale signs on them,need to get more aggressive with them.
I want Hollywood perfect video’s to put on Youtube about my domains.
Hi Todd,
Thanks a lot for being so honest!
I think a lot of bloggers and commentors are keen to talk about how they’ve solved their productivity problems. But the reality is these issues require a constant awareness day-to-day. We’re all in constant danger of falling in the pit of analysis-paralysis!
Great to see you here on the blog – thanks for contributing 🙂
Rob
P.S. that’s a heck of a lot of domains you’ve got there – I hope they pay off for you!
Hello Rob,
Very nice points you make my friend.I have been on the side of” over-analysing”
things and complicating stuff for myself when all I had to do was ” follow” directions.
Trust me when I say its fustrating , but I accept its my fault and “focus” in order to
change the outcome.
Napoles – it’s not really YOUR fault.
I think it’s just human nature. We ALL suffer from it, including some extremely successful and rich people I’ve met personally in all sorts of fields (offline too).
An awareness is the key. It’s the first step on the road to recovery and getting ahead of all the others who are going around in circles and spinning their wheels!
Great to hear from you, as always 🙂
Rob
Hi Rob
I never wasted time with domain namees, just used variants of my name, assed online and blog.
I used standard themes on 2 and had a makeover done on with a customized header.
I don’t mind hacking to get products, but do when they infect it with malicious software and screw my whole system.
My freebie will be from my ebook, copied and pasted.
I will only use PayPal, but I do have a long term plan. It does get changed, but is pretty well going to plan.
However, I did get analysis paralysis along with information overload, so I started being more selective and found that worked.
Dee
As always, great to hear from you Dee – you always make great comments here so thank you 🙂
Sounds like you’ve got a lot sorted here. The residual info overload is something that will always be there I think but get those basics in place is a really good thing!
Your latest blog post “Making the most of your ebook” has some great quick tips in it too I think.
Cheers – Rob