I spent roughly 30 minutes working my email today.
After servicing a client I corresponded with other potential clients for a few moments.
I had already published an SEO-optimized post on my blog.
Fast forward 12 hours; at 10 PM on a Friday evening I publish my 7th post of the day. Toss in ample networking and I experienced another jam-packed day blogging.
A decade ago, I worried about my email inbox being empty for months, bemoaning my failure. But it had to be that way because that newbie blogger, struggling version of me could not handle any type of success. I was not ready.
I would have felt completely overwhelmed even by a tiny amount of success back in the day.
Success Is Progressive
What took me 30 minutes today would take me 7 hours some 10 years ago. I placed ads for a client on a series of my carefully picked blog posts, billed the client and wrapped up this job in approximately 10 minutes.
But the old me would have worried about picking the right posts for the client. Being filled with fear and doubt, I would have dawdled for 45 minutes on this task. I also would fear the client would never pay me. Of course I had not the skills to even write posts attractive enough for sponsored post opportunities.
I had to slowly experience tiny amounts of blogging success during lean years to build up ample:
- confidence
- clarity
- posture
- peace of mind
- trust in self
- trust in the blogging process
to where I could actually handle increasing amounts of success.
The Curse of Overnight Success
Some people appear to experience overnight success but lose it all and more, quickly. Fast money flows in and out like the tide. Businesses not prepared for massive scaling can never handle equally massive demand.
Imagine if you dream of being a multi-millionaire business owner. You begin a mail order business by hand designing crafts in your kitchen. One big box chain loves your early work and wants to stock 500,000 of your hand designed crafts on their shelves. Unless you hire 1,000 octopuses to work around the clock for a month you cannot meet the order.
Success is progressive.
Slow and Steady
But imagine 3 years into your business you streamline the process and begin to expand your company. One local store places an order you easily fulfill, boosting your revenue by $20,000. No way could you fulfill this order during your first year of business but diligently working and growing your company allows your success to slowly and steadily expand.
Success needs to be progressive for you to practice, learn, process and evolve as an entrepreneur so you can prepare for the next level of your growth. I had to gain enough confidence to get interviewed on a blog with 10 readers, then 1000 readers, then 80,000 readers, before I was prepared to be interviewed by Fox News. Plus, Forbes and Entrepreneur did not interview me when I attracted 3 daily blog visits, some 10 years ago. I had to build up my traffic, friend network, influence and overall online presence before popping up on the radar screens of big dawg contributors from these well known brands.
Relax. Everything happens in its perfect time.
Succeed a bit. Prepare for the next level. Succeed a little bit more. Prepare again.
Success is progressive.
You wouldn't want it any other way.
