| Starting a website from scratch is a significant | | | | even more important to plan well. Don't accidentally |
| undertaking. Big dreams of owning and managing | | | | neglect the important people in your life for the sake |
| profitable websites are often dashed on the cold | | | | of a website. |
| rocks of reality. It takes time and effort to get a | | | | You will need to set aside time each week to work. |
| website up and running. But, before you start, you | | | | Bringing your spouse into the arrangement provides |
| need to run through a few mental exercises. These | | | | extra incentive and accountability to stick to your |
| seven thought exercises will prepare you mentally to | | | | time budget. If your spouse is sacrificing by watching |
| accomplish the task before you: creating a website: | | | | the kids so you can work, you sure better not be |
| 1. Determine that you are going to take action. | | | | caught watching some show on TV. |
| The biggest obstacle to starting a website is deciding, | | | | 4. Understand who you are. |
| once and for all, to do it. You may have thought | | | | Know yourself. Know your weaknesses and be |
| about it in passing. You may have started formulating | | | | prepared for the moment when you try to ambush |
| plans. But, actually making the mental leap required to | | | | yourself. At some point you will want to quit. You will |
| commit to doing it is the first big barrier that must be | | | | either be bored, tired, fed up, or burned out. Be |
| overcome. | | | | prepared for it with a plan of action when you hit |
| Reality tends to set in when you make yourself start | | | | that point. |
| thinking logically about actually doing something. When | | | | It is very easy for me to waste time. I could watch |
| I finally decided to start my first website, I had lofty | | | | sports on TV all day long. Unfortunately, it doesn't |
| expectations. I was going to create multiple websites, | | | | bother me much to waste time. It drives me crazy |
| an entire network of sites. All would be related and all | | | | to waste money. My plan to deal with my |
| would center around one of the particular niches that | | | | self-sabotage was to force myself to choose |
| I find fascinating. It didn't happen. It took me eight | | | | between wasting time or money. I don't recommend |
| months night and weekend time before I had a single | | | | you do this, but it was what I needed: I bought a |
| website up and running. | | | | website hosting plan before I needed one. Then, I |
| Most people are busy. Deciding to take on a new | | | | was wasting money for as long as I was wasting |
| project in the face of all life throws at you is difficult. | | | | time. That drove me to work hard on finishing that |
| Juggling a job, spouse, kids, pets, whatever, is no | | | | first website. Two months later, I published. I couldn't |
| easy task. Finding the resolve to determine that you | | | | have put that $26 to better use. |
| will take action is the biggest hurdle to successfully | | | | Everyone is different. I don't recommend you |
| getting a website up and running. | | | | wasting money like I did. But, you should know what |
| 2. Identify your motivation and needs. | | | | you are going to do to keep yourself determined and |
| Once you have decided to take action, you must | | | | motivated. |
| realize why you made the decision. The reasons will | | | | 5. Understand the ramifications. |
| likely differ for everyone. But, to be successful, the | | | | The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that |
| main motivation for initiating the venture should be | | | | entropy is the rule. Everything tends toward disorder. |
| service. You have to serve someone or some group. | | | | Websites are not an exception. It is hardest to get a |
| The generation of profit is secondary to service. | | | | new site up and published. But, websites require |
| Serve well, and you will likely profit. The more people | | | | maintenance. You will need to put website time into |
| you serve, the more you profit. This is true in any | | | | your planning budget until you sell the site or |
| business, but it is especially true of internet ventures | | | | discontinue it. Realize that going in. Plan to have an |
| where traffic is king. Bottom line: your biggest | | | | extra responsibility to deal with for as long as you |
| motivator should be a desire to serve. | | | | run the website. |
| Next, figure out why you think you need to be doing | | | | 6. Count the costs. |
| this. These reasons will likely be more personal. Why | | | | Websites are relatively inexpensive. You can even |
| did you start this today? What made you decide to | | | | make one for free. I personally recommend that you |
| act upon your motivating factors and actually get | | | | at least register your domain name and self-host with |
| started? Whatever these personal needs are, they | | | | one of the many inexpensive website hosting options |
| should be the source of urgency. Without a sense of | | | | available these days. You can easily do this for under |
| urgency, your good motivations often won't achieve | | | | $70 for a full year. |
| any results. Without motivation, your sense of | | | | Whether you attempt to do it with no monetary |
| urgency will just lead to anxiety. You need both of | | | | cost or buy all the bells and whistles, know what you |
| them in order to become productive and see your | | | | are getting into. Keep the expenses minimal at first. |
| decision to act become a published website. | | | | You can always upgrade later once your website is a |
| 3. Prepare to take action. | | | | booming success. |
| As I mentioned earlier, I had big plans for my | | | | 7. MOVE! |
| money-making website system. My "plans" were | | | | Make your brain make your body go! Take action. |
| more like pipe dreams. What I failed to do then was | | | | Get started. If you don't know where to start, there |
| adequately prepare. I dreamt big and planned small. | | | | are lots of free resources available today that will |
| Learn from my mistake. You need to plan before | | | | help point you in the right direction. Budget your time, |
| jumping in with both feet. Have a goal date of when | | | | pick your topic, and get busy working on your |
| you want to be able to publish your website. It will | | | | project. |
| take different amounts of time depending on the | | | | Dreams don't accomplish much, but actions sure do. |
| type of site you want to create. Then, sit down and | | | | The old proverb is true: nothing ventured, nothing |
| create a budget for your time. If you are married, do | | | | gained. Get your venture started today. |
| this with your significant other. If you have kids, it is | | | | |