I spoke with a new internet marketing student the other day. During the conversation, I gave some advice that I think is pretty doggone profound.
Here’s what I said:
“Just take it one step at a time, and keep moving forward.”
Deep, huh?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not minimizing how difficult it can be to get a business endeavor off the ground. That grind that comes at the beginning can wear down the toughest guys and gals out there. A lot of the time it does.
Studies show that as many as 9 out of 10 of business start-ups fail within the first 5 years. Ugly odds. So I’m not saying this is easy.
What I am saying is that success doesn’t happen by accident. You have to figure out the steps it will take to get you where you want to go. That in itself can be really difficult. How do you know what needs to happen? Who should you listen to?
I won’t go into depth on that here, except to say that you should be cautious taking advice from people that are not successful themselves. That success should be in your chosen field or one where the lessons are translatable.
Next, take one step at a time. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Put one foot ahead of the other, and get steady before you start to make your next move.
Then, keep stepping forward. Concentrate your efforts and conquer each step along your path to the promise land. One step after the other.
Sometimes you can make leaps rather than little steps. But don’t get over-anxious. Once you’re fully focused on what you’re doing, you’ll recognize your opportunities when they come.
If you follow the basic formula (determine needed steps — take one step at a time — keep moving forward) success becomes easier and more predictable.