A New Adventure Beckons

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Looking back over 2007, I’m stunned at the difference in my life as a result of the new skills I’ve mastered and expertise I’ve acquired. The year ahead is filled with exciting plans and slightly scarey challenges, but feel the fear and do it anyway!

My objective for 2008 is to move our home to the Greek island of Crete. From the very beginning, when I first began researching online money making activities, it was because we want to live on this beautiful island amongst the warm and friendly Cretan people.

Initially, when I drew up a list of criteria for my new business, the requirements were simple and straightforward — no staff, no physical product, and can be operated from anywhere in the world via a laptop and an internet connection.

Well, we’re under way, there’s a long haul ahead, but ooh, it’s exciting and thrilling… it’s my adventure and I’m gonna enjoy it!

Make sure you enjoy your own adventure… happy trails to you and yours, always and forever, but especially during the new year ahead. Happy 2008!

Reward Rebel

Time is an Illusion

Time is an Illusion

Recently I’ve rediscovered how prone I am to thinking I’m working hard, spending lots and lots of time tap-tap-tapping away on my PC or laptop, to be instantly deflated when I assess precisely what I’ve accomplished, only to find it’s not very much at all!

What’s worse is that the more time I’ve thought I had available to spend on a project, the less I’ve gotten done in proportion to the time spent on it! I need to practically see my skin bruising from the pressure I’m under, before I’ll get my ass in gear and buckle down to REAL work.

It’s not due to laziness, or lack of motivation. No, it’s because of a mighty powerful — occasionally all-consuming — inclination to distraction, usually by something worthy enough, just not essential to the immediate agenda.

Do you hear any bells ringing? I know I’m not alone, and if you know how to conquer this demon, I’d be delighted to hear about it.

Until I succeed in overcoming this time-devouring indulgence, the luxury of having plenty of time to complete a task will remain a beautiful illusion, however much time I think I have to do the job, I won’t start working in earnest until time is tight!

Pressed for time or not… always enjoy the adventure.

Reward Rebel

The Trickery of the Gurus

The Trickery of the Gurus

A common ploy in online sales techniques is the Upsell on resell rights. You buy a product, pay for it, and before you’re given access to the download, you’re offered the resell rights at a low, low price that’ll never, EVER be repeated. (Unless of course, they relent, and email you that they’ve decided to give you a break… !)

The benevolent gurus are so concerned for you (as an upcoming affiliate internet marketer) to make a profit that they’ll encourage you to spend money on resell rights to a product you haven’t seen!

Wait a moment… think about the implications. To conduct business ethically, an internet marketer is expected to promote a product in which he believes. He is, after all, recommending it. This being the case, why would anyone consider purchasing resell rights to a product unseen? More to the point, what are the ethics of the guru urging you to commit your capital to this kind of venture?

The very first thing all the gurus warn against is selecting a product to sell before identifying its market, instead of identifying a market and then selecting a product to satisfy that market’s needs.

This hypocrisy casts serious doubts on the integrity of any guru, and makes total nonsense of all their claims to have ‘our’ best interests at heart. (Maybe they have, but only AFTER their own profits!)

Nobody should ask you to promote a product you’ve never seen. It’s really that simple.

I don’t mean to sound like a guru-basher! Think before you spend on products and resell rights. Don’t allow the pressure applied in the sales copy to influence you to ‘buy now and save money’, because it’s just encouraging you to part with what you already have.

Welcome to the adventure,

Reward Rebel

Focus versus Multi-tasking

Focus versus Multi-tasking

As the term has become more and more entrenched in our language, multi-tasking has become a familiar companion in our everyday lives. It is assumed that by multi-tasking, we are living more efficient and productive lives. And don’t we feel terribly smug about how organised we are?

Unfortunately, multi-tasking is NOT always the most effective strategy, indeed, it can undermine our efforts to the point of permanent erosion!

Whether one or the other technique is most effective or efficient is about what type of task requires action. Without a doubt, if you are undertaking any kind of creative work, you need to focus 100%, which means NO distractions.

FOCUS is a deadly accurate tool, and an essential one if you are to succeed. Laser target your mind and hold it steady on the task at hand NOW!

Turn off the radio, disable your PC’s new email notification, flick your phone onto voicemail, prohibit all possible distractions or interruptions and FOCUS… TOTALLY.

In short… TERMINATE DISTRACTIONS WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!

If your work environment is shared with colleagues, ensure they are aware of times when you require absolute concentration, after all, they should be doing the same for their own work. Utilise visual reminders, for instance, you could wear a highly visible hat, or erect a banner or flag that warns people to keep away!

Work in uninterrupted blocks of time of at least 90 minutes, better still 2 hours. If you can make it half to an entire day is best of all. Your results will be exponentially greater in relation to the time you spend focused on the task.

It may sound crazy but you’ll find the opposite true of multi-tasking (when you should be focused). A task that should take 5 days to complete when focused, will be completed in 5 days, but if you take on a second project that also takes 5 days and work on the two projects in tandem, you’ll find that they each take 9 or 10 days to complete. Factor in a third job and… well, you get the picture… basically, you’ll never finish!

Always enjoy the adventure.

Reward Rebel

Brainstorming to Creativity

Brainstorming to Creativity

As you ponder your goal and determine the best course to achieve it, you will need some creative ways of thinking and facing challenges that will arise. The most creative-thinkers out there will encourage you to think outside the box, and to consider even the wildest of ideas.

One way to do this is to “Brainstorm.” Brainstorming is done by having a piece of paper, or use your PC or IPOD, and record EVERY idea that occurs to you about the situation you’re facing. Do NOT evaluate your ideas—just make a note of them. Do NOT consider something “ too silly” or “too dumb” to write down—just write it down!

Evaluate your ideas in a few days, but not when you’re writing them down. Consider these ideas much like a newborn baby. You must cradle that baby and hold it lovingly and help it grow to a responsible adult.

The same goes for your new ideas. You might find that one idea you would consider to be the “silliest” turns out to be your key for unlocking the door you’re facing.

Remember the guy who came up with the idea for Post-It Notes? The adhesive was discovered long before they found a use for it—and the person who said, “Let’s make some note pads that are small and can be easily removed,” was laughed at. But now—do you even see ONE office without Post-Its around? I have at least 6 pads of Post-Its in my desk drawer alone. There’s one in the kitchen, and one in the car.

Another way to increase your creativity is to be around others who are creative. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” If you hobnob with those who are known for creativity, it will wear off on you. And you will find new ways of looking at things and thinking about situations, as well. You can find audio-books and speeches that will stir up your creative juices as well.

Professional speakers and those who have “been there, done that” often hit the speaking-circuit and can pump fresh ideas and life in your goal and the ways you attain those goals.

I prefer removing myself from the goal-achieving mode and moving to a truly creative outlet—the arts. You may not consider yourself artsy or think you have any ability in this realm, but it’s worth taking a lump of clay (or Play-Doh) and working with it. You may find, as I do, that when I’m working on a hobby that I truly love, I free up a portion of my brain that was engaged in my problem-solving. When that happens, I typically find a potential solution to my dilemma.

Artistic creativity often sparks other forms of creative-thinking, as it engages a different area of the brain than what we’re used to using. Pick up a paintbrush, a pencil, arrange some flowers, or begin a needlework project. You may find in colour and artistry you have a new lease on what you’re doing!

Welcome to the adventure,

Reward Rebel

Gurus Mutual Appreciation Society

Gurus Mutual Appreciation Society

Do not believe everything you read in testimonials on sales pages for internet marketing products? I’m not so familiar with the culture of niche marketing testimonials, but in the world of internet marketing per se, it’s very much an Internet Marketing Gurus Mutual Appreciation Society.

If you don’t believe me, go take a look at, say, a dozen internet marketing sales pages, and you’ll find the same names cropping up time and time again. Actually, what surprises me is that they find any time to manage their own internet marketing ventures! LOL.

Many of the products they are providing a testimonial for will be fine packages, I’m sure. But they all joint venture together, they are all busy scratching each other’s back. Is anyone really likely to bad-mouth a semi colleague’s product, and anyway if they did, we’d hardly get to see the evidence, would we?

Guess I’m busy guru bashing again, sheesh, I don’t mean to, but get kinda wound up as the writing progresses!

Truth is, I’m just trying to alert you to the fact that all is not what it may appear to be, and on this topic, don’t allow yourself to feel pressured to buy immediately, rather than fully considering a product’s worth and whether or not it will enhance your own internet marketing projects, and whether it’s something that you need right now.

Perhaps it’s a good product, but do you need it now? If not, wait. For one thing, by the time you do need it, the price may have dropped. Also, there will be numerous promotions from affiliate marketers competing to make money online promoting the product via their affiliate link or reseller’s sales page. They’ll be offering all kinds of additional bonuses in return for your business. Overall, you’ll very likely come away with a great deal more for your bucks, if you do NOT rush in.

So, don’t hurry your decision to buy or not. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not advocating procrastination — that wicked lil ol’ thief of time — but simply weigh up ALL the options.

Oh, and if the ad advises that the price is due to increase at midnight (on the day you’re reading about it… funny how often that’s the case, isn’t it [LOL]), let it. Cos it’s very unlikely that it actually will increase… ever, never mind midnight!

Don’t be bullied, these threats are usually nothing more than a bluff to put the frighteners on YOU. To nurture your fear that might miss out on something valuable. If an internet marketing product has true value, the vendor does not need to apply underhand tactics to sell it. It’s that simple.

But whatever you do… ENJOY yourself, it’s an adventure!

Reward Rebel

You Can Do It!

One thing that stands in the way of success is your ability to believe in yourself. In fact, it’s essential that you believe in yourself.

If you struggle with your self-esteem, then you’re probably comparing yourself to other people and using a measuring stick that’s not even remotely accurate as you bash yourself and your own abilities.

The first thing you need to do is sit down with a piece of paper and start to write down the things at which you are genuinely good. I mean things like “arranging furniture anew” and “I’m organized”.

For every skill or task that you OWN (and it doesn’t matter what it is), there is a way to put those abilities to good use and a way to make it your own personal success story.

Now that you’ve done that, think about things you *love* to do. Make another column on your paper and begin to list things you really enjoy and could do every day for the rest of your life—and not dread going to work. Draw lines between things in your two columns that might go together.

On my paper, I’d write “I’m good at organizing things” in one column and “I like to write.” They don’t seem to go together, but what if I began writing about getting organized?

What if I started an email list with tips on how to get organized and wrote notes to encourage my subscribers? And then what if I started to talk to companies who would custom-make things for my subscribers to help keep them organized and began seeing profit from all of this? Would you call that “success”? I would!

So the moral of this story is that you CAN do this. You CAN succeed at this and you DO have what it takes to be successful. Go work on your lists and remember to think outside the box!

Enjoy the adventure,

Reward Rebel