How do you know when you are done?
How many hours, days, weeks and months do you put in to something before you realize that it’s just not going to work for you?
This is a question I have been asking myself a lot these days.
In this post I’d like to ask a few questions, and come up with almost no answers.
The struggling musician
I bet we all know a struggling musician who is trying really hard to make it happen but just can’t get there. Its a very sad things to see.
So why is it happening? Why aren’t they getting anywhere? Are they lacking talent, drive, marketing skills? Does everyone else see it except them?
Or is it that they just don’t seem to have the “karma” to make it happen? Like something invisible is holding them back at every possible opportunity.
Blogging and online business is a lot like being a struggling musician. And like that musician, we need to know when the gig is up.
Harsh I know.
How do you know when you are cooked?
So what are the signs of being done? How do you know that you just aren’t going to get anywhere with this gig? Its a tough question but one I have asked a lot. Here are some ideas.
1. You can’t break even
If you are struggling to break even after a set period of time then there is a good chance you just aren’t doing something right. Sometimes this can mean a re-structure, sometimes something else.
2. You could be earning more and feeling happier elsewhere
Recently it occurred to me with one of my main projects that I could go out and get a job in a cool office with nice people and earn double what I earn now. That is a big realization to have. Is all the attachment you have to “your own business” really worth the struggle if you could go to an office and make more money, friends and so on?
3. Your health is taking a dive
As you might have picked up with my posts over time, I have had a few issues relating to my health that have been caused, primarily, by working home alone in my office. Yes, blogging can damage your health. And not just your waistline and heart, it can make you depressed, stressed, anxious and isolated. If your work is affecting your health it is high time you learned how to deal with it or got out.
4. You’re not helping people
One of the big tests for me is whether or not I am helping people. This one thing can outweigh a lot of other counterarguments. For example, if you are writing a blog that doesn’t make much money but helps a lot of people around you then it is a good reason to keep going with it. If, however, your blogging is not doing any good and your mood is affecting the people around you then the whole thing just seems pointless.
But what about diligence, persistence and not giving up?
That is the clincher. Sometimes these thoughts about giving it your best shot and so on are just your fear masquerader as a reasonable excuse. Before you give up something that it important to you you need to really figure out why you are doing it. And sometimes the best way to do that is to figure out why you started it in the first place.
What would it take for you to quit?
I’d really like to know what it would take for you to quit your blogging career. How do you know when you are cooked? Please leave a comment and let me know. Also, if you quit something already and have something to say about it I’d like to hear too.
I took the office job because I realized that my web design business wasn’t going to scale. I was doing web design, speaking at industry conferences (paid), and doing one-on-one webinars (coaching). Now I’m doing each of these, minus the speaking and a few other responsibilities – I built a Help Desk on WordPress containing 80+ product tutorials, I manage a Community Forum powered by vBulletin, and I manage all digital content for our company. I still do my own blogging and that leads to speaking opportunities still and I managed to start my own side project: http://www.realestateblogtopics.com. Unlike the one-on-one coaching I was doing before, this is a scalable model.
What prompted my decision? I was stressed and wasn’t growing. There was only so many things I could accomplish on my own and I couldn’t see a growth rate. So I teamed up with what I believe to be a leader in my industry (ultimately, I saw that as a positive step).
Sure I miss the independent life-style. Make my own schedule, call my own shots. But I also love what I do very, very much. And I’m playing at a bigger level. A level that I didn’t think I had the resources to get to on my own.
Dude that is so interesting. Why couldn’t you scale up? Couldn’t make enough to get staff, marketing, etc.?
I think I was crippled by the whole “I gotta do things myself” mentality.
People overestimate the self-employed lifestyle, I am an entrepreneur myself (blogging is for fun, although it’s producing more income as the months go by) and I can say as a small business owner, these are some of the truest words I’ve ever read:
“An entrepreneur is someone who works 80 hours a week in order to avoid working 40 hours a week for someone else.”
Great quote.
It’s very difficult to admit to yourself that it’s time to give up.
Partly because everyday we are told about the goodness of the internet lifestyle and going back to the corporate world seems like choosing slavery.
Your internet lifestyle has to make you happy.If you are struggling and not having fun, taking a job might be a better option. Of course it always depends on the kind of job and many other things.
Anyway, today is not my best day but I still think we have to be positive.
Oh, and BT, I’m sure your posts help a lot of people.Just see how loyal your audience is.
Cristina
Thanks Cristina. Consistently good comments.
When you start dreading reading your email in the morning. That’s when it’s time to move on.
True. It sucks!
It’s not an either/or decision.
It’s possible to keep a “day” job and run blogs on the side. That’s what I do. This way you are not as stressed about having to use the blog to keep food on the table.
And if/when the blog(s) becomes successful then you can quit the day job if you want.
Finally – you don’t need to just have 1 blog. You can setup niche sites. Or you can change the ways you make $ with your blog.
I know it’s frustrating when you’re not as successful as when you want, as quickly as you want. But it takes time if you want to make money from your blog. It could take years!
I think you’ve done well, but I understand if you need to take on another gig to make ends meet. But if it’s just because you’re lonely – nobody says blogging has to be alone, 24/7.
Get out, meet people. Make friends. Take a short break. Then see after the break if you want to continue or not.
Best Regards,
Mark W.
Hey Mark. Its not a money thing. Just curious about the situation bloggers find themselves in. I think the part time job for social reasons is a good idea for some.
There have been a few times when I’ve asked myself, “why am I doing this? Why don’t I just stop blogging and do something more worthwhile?” I’m just a part-time blogger and I don’t make a cent off of my blog, so I won’t lose anything if I quit. But I’ve noticed that the times I feel like quitting is when I’ve burnt myself out—when I’ve worked too hard on something and I don’t want to look at my blog ever again. That’s when I have to remind myself (as you said) WHY I started blogging in the first place. Blogging, when I’m doing it right, is fun for me.
I hope I never come to the point of quitting. I hope I can learn to do things differently and make blogging more enjoyable.
Anyway, great post! 🙂
Yep, know that feeling. Burnt out on a project.
The low entry fee to the digital world has meant that there are a zillion sites offering products and a proportion of those that offer good products just don’t get seen.
Others are slow burners that take a long, long time to get noticed.
Not everyone who is ready to buy is also aware what is out there.
The long tail is very long – and as Spotify said – it took them 10 years to become an overnight success.
My bottom line is that if there is good visitor engagement on your site and good feedback – then as long as the enterprise is not taking up too much of your time, and the overhead is bearable – stick with it.
Great quote about Spotify.
On the other hand, there are those of us who are chained to their jobs by golden handcuffs. We make far more money than we can doing the things we love.
In my case, I work a full day and then go home and build iPhone apps. I hope that the higher paying job will let me retire earlier and let me do what I love.
Good strategy Somesh.
This is precisely why I don’t blog but just build static niche sites. I find then 100x easier to monetize plus they’re a lot more automated. Once they’ve reached a certain level, you don’t have to post every single day like bloggers.
When you’re building your niche sites, how much content do you normally add? Is it just a couple of pages to talk about whatever product you’re selling, or are you actually pre-scheduling a certain number of blog posts?
Depends on the niche really and how I plan on monetizing the website.
You can see how I usually build these types of sites on my URL link so you can get a better idea.
It would be fun, as well as instructional, to see more of your sites than just the colon cleansing one.
What? No colon cleansing for you Dorothy? 🙂
Didn’t think people really did it, Rachelle. Thought it was just a way to make money, kinda like selling diet plans.
Wow! I read this post, and it hits very close to home. I have just recently discovered blogs, this one in particular.
Actually, I have never posted on another blog, so I apologize in advance if I ramble, don’t follow the “blog” rules or offend anyone.
My situation is not relating just to a blog, but a website and a blog. My creation! My dream! A way out of the day-in and day-out corporate grind.
Freedom! Money! Fun!
Although the path has been very exciting and I have learned “SO MUCH!”, I still feel I know so little in the grand scheme. At every crossroad, were unexpected and sometimes devastating results. Things have not gone according to plan!
I continue to try to learn what it is I may need to know … searching for the ultimate tidbit of knowledge that changes the game, that course or direction to a new place. A place that shows any sign of success (oh, and how I hate that word!).
But, back to the topic … loneliness, isolation, inability to keep focused, all very familiar to me. When to throw in the towel?
Miss the co-workers, miss the customers. I was in sales and long for the interaction of helping others, and I do miss working with friends and coworkers, very much. Actually, when I think about it, it’s the interaction, the smiles, the visiting, joking, caring, listening, solving problems and some working!
I have found that joining other groups, business, personal, and creative outlets has helped so much to fill that void. I do have days where I don’t actually talk to another person all day … and those days suck. I can feel myself heading down a dark path when there are too many of them. I make a point of interacting, even if I just go to the grocery store or get gas .. just get out!
As for closing the door to my dream … to my own detriment, I am a diehard “Underdog” supporter, so until they take me out in shackles and the (pc) “full-sized lady sings”, I have to push on, and keep the faith in knowing it all leads to a path that I am supposed to be on!
Which, who knows, maybe a J.O.B.(equivalent to a 4-letter word, in my eyes!), there is definitely something to be said about punching out at 5, and leaving the work at the office. We all know we are not stopping at 5, nor are we leaving it behind!
For now, I’m still in the game, and send good wishes that you find what you need to make you happy,whatever that needs to be, after all, that’s what it is all about.
Not meant to be a shameless plug, but I welcome any advice, tips or recommendations on my site/blog: thelotterygenie.com — I have not done much with that blog, not happy with it, looking for ways to make it more appealling, better appearance & content.
Here’s to a Good Tuesday,
Leigh
I don’t stop work at 5 – mainly because I start later in the day than some, but I try never to work more than 10 hours in a day (unless I’m under a super-rush deadline) and I only work the rarest of weekends now. When I’m done with client work, I’m done with the client work. It doesn’t get to own me during my off hours. Not anymore.
Granted, these were all aspects I struggled with during my first 18 months working for myself, but I’ve found balance now. Being freelance and clocking out at 5 can happen.
Leigh! You can comment any time you like! Brilliant.
BT, thanks for the nice comments, after I read a lot of the other comments, I felt a little out of my league.
I am very happy to hear all that everyone has to say, very insightful, it helps a lot!
Whoa…Talk about timing.
Admittedly, I woke up at 3:30 this morning asking myself these same big questions. What WOULD it take for me to throw in the towel? Am I there now? Why aren’t things going better? What am I doing wrong?
I’ve been at this online marketing thing since February. My intention was to blog, but I’ve been spending so much time trying to get paying gigs, that my blog has really suffered. As in, I have close to nothing on it.
And the paying clients? Well, let’s see…I’ve almost been hired on to work with five well-paying clients, but to date, I’ve only done three small consulting gigs and am now on a fourth which is set to only last six weeks. After that, I’m out of work. Again.
Sure, I have the freedom to be home with my small kids and my elderly mother – which is a big reason I did this – I needed the flexibility. But I’m FAR from the money and the benefits I had at my soul-crushing job. And that’s a huge disappointment.
So, I would have to say I’m close to being there – you know, at that point. I’m now filled with self-doubt. And frustration. And so ready to not live like a pauper anymore.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
Good luck Leah. You sound like you are going to get through it.
Writing is a career for me, not blogging. Blogging is more of a hobby that I’d like to turn into a sideline income stream once I can find the right topic. (The Piper isn’t it, but I think I’ve already figured out what is.)
As far as going back into an office. Nope. No way. It’s unlikely that someone will hire me to come into an office locally that will pay me more than I’m already making. And even if they did…No. Getting up before the sun every morning to make my hair cute and put on make-up and find professional attire just isn’t for me. Now that I’m in a better routine with my work, I’m finally able to start undoing all the bad health stuff that I let happen when I was in the 9-5 (which was really 7-6) rut.
As for when I throw in the towel on a blog…probably about the time it’s a chore to write, starts taking away time from my husband and pushes aside the other things I want to do with my life. When it’s just one or two of those things, I can cope. But when it was doing the first two and eating up every second I had for fiction…No. Done. I know I’ll get back to posting on my blogs, but for now, business is going too well and family is too active for them to be a priority.
And yeah, I get that I’m like the struggling musician when it comes to fiction. I acknowledge that I’ll never be as big as Stephen King or James Patterson or whoever else is rich and famous. That’s OK. Out of all the writing I do, the fiction is what makes me happy. I’m the type of writer who will have a small and hyper-loyal fanbase for her books and I’m totally cool with that.
*sighs* Why do all my comments always seem to turn into mini-guest posts? *shakes head*
Love each and every one of them Jen.
Jen, because you’re a writer, your published fiction and mini fan base are important to you. I can understand that. Money isn’t everything to some people. I can understand that, too, because I’m the same way. Because you’re a writer, you tend to launch into mini guest posts (in your opinion). I don’t mind reading your replies at all.
As usual, interesting topic BT,
I was a struggling musician for about a decade; I finally quit. I’ve owned my own business now for over a decade; still doing it. After being married for almost two decades, I just went through a divorce last year.
I could come up with many more examples of persistence and quitting, no doubt. Who couldn’t?
I think that there comes a time when the word “enough” enters the process. It’s different for all. But I believe it needs to come from a rational place, as much as possible. Because we can twist it with our emotions. We can justify anything and keep hanging on like the gambler in Vegas who slumps on the stool because he’s hit with intermittent reinforcement. But when is the payoff finally outweighed by the thinning wallet?
When does the term ENOUGH finally shed light on reality? Hmm … where’s “the bottom” that motivates one to move past the comfort of chaos or that which is the known or, the biggie, that biting and messy fear of change?
Apologies for not pointing this to blogging specifically. But I think that one comes to a realization through striving, trials, and confronting the fear of facing reality; what it truly is. Only then can you see what you’ve avoided, denied, or rationalized and, in turn, more accurately assess the costs and benefits, of either quitting or persisting.
Gary, what an interesting, articulate reply. I couldn’t stop nodding my head in agreement. I think anyone who’s reached a certain age, decided to divorce, changed careers, or just lived, can agree with you. Thanks for expressing it all so well.
Sorry,I should have said, Garry.
No problem Dorothy, and thanks for noticing! Few do. Sometimes I think others figure I spelled it incorrectly! 😉
And thanks for your kind words.
Thanks for commenting Garry. I really enjoyed it.
I’m a TX pastor, and I feel like I’m there right now. Things seem to be going from bad to worse. We are in severe decline in both attendance and giving. The people love me, but won’t do what I ask to turn the church around. In other words, they love having me as their pastor, but they don’t trust my judgement. Any change they actually want just gives them a reason to stay the change.
I hate being responsible for something that I have little power over to actually change.
Cali
Cali that sounds really hard.
I think this might be a case of sticking at it with a pure motivation – you’ll find what works.
The lesson I’ve learned from the all the blogs I’ve started and seen flop is this: give people what they want, not what you want them to want.
For example, I started a blog about using Linux and open-source programs for artists. I wanted to promote them as a viable alternative to the Apple & Adobe duopoly.
The blog flopped because it was too narrow a niche. The number of people who use Linux on their personal computers is small. The number of people who use it for design, film editing, audio production, etc. is even more minuscule. After a few months, I pulled the plug before I wasted any more effort.
I’m not saying you should completely sell out, which I define as selling something you don’t believe in. I think you can strike a balance between a topic you like and one that audiences would be interested in.
The dilemma of when to quit reminded me of a video by Derek Sivers called “Hit or Switch”: http://www.vimeo.com/26821151. Sivers is a musician turned accidental Internet entrepreneur. You can Google him to get the rest of his fascinating story.
In that video, Sivers uses the analogy of a musician who gets stuck trying to promote his one favorite song he wrote, instead of trying to create lots of songs, which have a higher chance of producing a hit.
There are 8 videos in total, and the series is called “Uncommon Sense”: http://www.vimeo.com/album/1660842. Sivers shares his insights based on his experience. Well worth watching. It felt like those “executive coaching” sessions that CEOs pay thousands of dollars for. All free.
I think the hard part is keeping that objectivity. Am I on the wrong path entirely, or did I just make a wrong turn and need to correct course?
Blogging as an overall path may be the right one for you; but maybe the specific blog you’re working on now is not working. It would be okay to quit the blog, but not to quit blogging altogether. Just try a new blog with a different topic. And if turns out you would rather work in a 9-to-5 environment, that’s okay too. The biggest mistake is sticking to the wrong path out of pride and stubbornness. People waste years of their lives that way.
Persistence is a little overrated, in my opinion. I shudder when I think of the horrible jobs and projects I’d still be stuck in if I hadn’t quit them. Quitting frees you to explore and find out what works.
Some of the best things that have ever happened to me happened right after I removed myself from a bad situation. Stick to your goals; but don’t be wedded to any particular method of achieving them.
The important idea is to keep trying out new things and keep learning. Quantity leads to quality. And quality leads to word-of-mouth, which leads to success.
That second last paragraph is really interesting to me. Thanks Marcus.
Hi Ty,
I can’t top Garry’s explanation, but I’ll add my two cents anyway. I quit adding to my blog recently, but kept the hosting just in case I wanted to go back and give it another go. The reason was because I’d been putting in a lot of time and thought, trying to teach young parents how to turn a plain room into a fabulous baby nursery without spending a lot of money. After a full year, trying to put all the advice so freely given by Sonia, Blog Tyrant and a handful of others, I still was not getting subscribers or commentters.
Well, that’s not exactly true. I got (and still get) lots of innocuous messages that had nothing to do with any particular post. They just wanted link juice. I trash them.
That’s the difference with your blog, BT. I feel as if you are a trusted friend. I love to hear what you’re thinking whenever you pop in. The rest of the crowd always has interesting things to add. I like coming here to visit. It really is a friendly place. Of course we’re not buying a thing from you, but you’re certainly filling needs and providing a service. I’d miss your blog if you quit it.
I struggled with quitting, but when I had to spend scads of time with a sick mother, with no mental energy or time left over for interior design thoughts, I had quit.
I wonder if someday I might go back and turn it into a niche blog, to sell baby art that I and others paint. Maybe later. I kept my hosting.
-Amazingly, a few people still look at it.
Why do you think it didn’t work Dorothy?
Coincidentally I went through this same questioning process just recently (link from my name is to the specific post I wrote as a result: Perseverence: How to Keep Going and How to Know When to Stop).
I came to much the same conclusions as you, BT, about the factors to consider, and ended up deciding to carry on, at least for now.
But it is a question we need to keep open and revisit periodically, I think.
Thanks Mike.
Wow, this was very timely for me as well. You know, as the old country music song says “you gotta know when to hold’em, and when to fold ’em.” I just got finished reading “The Dip” by Seth Godin which addresses exactly this issue. It made me realize there’s no shame in quitting. In fact, it’s smart to quit, if you are in a cul-de-sac (or a dead end).
However, if you are in a dip, or a chasm, or a valley, and there’s glory and riches at the other end, go ahead and feel bad for a bit, but slog your way through, become the best in the world (at your niche…and it better be a profitable niche), and you’ll come out a winner.
I’m in a big time dip right now. I don’t know how I’m going to make this month work financially frankly. I look at my wife and my little special needs son and wonder if I’m being unfair to them, if I’m putting them through unnecessary trials and tribulations because of my selfish desire to make it as an entrepreneur.
It’s a dilemma, thanks so much for sharing!
Maybe you should ask your wife how she feels about it. When I first positioned the whole “I’m going to be a full-time writer” thing to my husband, I don’t think he quite got it. His response was something along the lines of if I had to work 18-hour days to make it work then that’s what I’d have to do. Now he gets it: That I can make a comfortable living with a little leftover after taxes for savings on a moderate workload, or I have the potential to make phenomenal money if I kill myself at the computer. He likes the money, but he’d rather not have me looking like the walking dead.
So, see how your wife feels about it. Not knowing much about you, I can’t say whether you’ve acted in a selfish manner, but what you’re trying to do isn’t selfish in and of itself. Nor is it an all or nothing endeavor. There’s zero shame in stepping back from it for a bit to safeguard your family’s financial security if that’s what you need to do.
Seth… is there anything he can’t do?
There are a lot of reasons to feel like quitting. However it’s important to make decisions with a clear head. Before making any major decisions remember
H – Hungry
A – Angry
L – Lonely
T – Tired
Being the kind of person I am, I am often in one or two of these states, so I can never decide anything. Kidding! All I’m saying is that I have to check all my basic needs first. Oftentimes once the situation changes and my mood improves, I feel more enthusiastic about going on.
That’s a really good way to look at it, Rachelle. The only thing I might add is that it’s time to stop if you find yourself in these particular situations more than you’re not. If you’d be less hungry, angry, lonely and tired working for someone else, well…might be worth looking into.
Strangely, I’m moreso all of those things when I work for someone else because I don’t get to control the allocation of my time. If you add in out of shape and unhealthy, you’ve pretty much got the combination that caused me to leave my last office job.
Nahhh,
I’m always pretty on the edge, I’m working too hard these days, but I feel a lot more secure with many small clients than one big one (an employer) curiously most people don’t feel this way. Despite the evidence of people getting fired, or laid off almost constantly in the news they still feel safer working for someone else.
Because I don’t really fit into the whole “office” scene well, I’m always one misstep away from getting fired. Politics and hierarchy are not things I am good at. If it weren’t for avarice (greed) they’d boot my ass to the curb.
Working for many smaller projects ensures that if someone gets pissed off I don’t lose my entire income stream. Plus a significant benefit of self employment in Canada is the taxation advantages.
Great thoughts as usual Rachelle.
Rachelle,
I subscribe to the comments on this blog and, today, it is your comment that reaffirms the value of this venue.
H.A.L.T, as an acronym, is so important and such a helpful tool in helping to recognize symptoms that tell us we need to stop. And just take care of our well-being, first. With brothers and sisters-in-arms who know HALT and have the experience, strength and hope to use it and to share it with others, this place BT has created is even better 🙂
BT, you are indeed helping people, if I can count myself into that group.
For one, this foray into deciphering an image-based nexus in/about/for your posts is pure gold to me. In this post, it’s Obama and Qaddafi (that’s the way the White House is spelling it)that are pictured, and not too long ago it was Obama and Conan.
Could it be an ongoing comparison amongst those suffering professional betrayals of differing degrees?
Looking forward to more!
Scott, love it. I’m going to write a post about these images one day.
I think you’re only really cooked when all hope dies. As long as there’s light at the end of the tunnel we bloggers are like jack russels – getting down the hole and digging away, due to some basic instinct. Blogging takes up so much time, and it’s hard to make money unless blogging is promoting some other part of your writing life, or is part of it (as mine is). But there’s the rub you see, don’t you, the two go hand in hand? Writers need a platform. They need to promote their wares just like salesmen. A blog is such a good promotional tool, even if you don’t earn a cent from it. I say keep cooking … because when you start a blog post, you very often find you have a saleable article instead.
Nicely put Jo.
I’d really like to know what it would take for you to quit your blogging career.
I don’t know if I will ever quit. I have been blogging for 7.5 years now and feel like I still have a ton left to do, say, learn and share.
Is it all going well for you Jack?
I found your site recently on live-your-love.com and came over to check it out since I like her site.
You asked about something we quit. I quit a lucrative personal development network marketing business that I assisted in growing from the ground up, back in 2004. At that point it was no longer based on what we had built it on…it had become more about the money than the people we were assisting and I’m just not built that way.
When I walked away, many people who I thought were my friends/family, walked away from me so I’ve never looked back at the industry as a way to continue my income.
I spent 4 years looking for online marketing information, marketers I could connect with and trust. As I’m sure you’re aware, there’s more bad out there than good, but I knew there had to be people out there with integrity and a willingness to teach what they knew without feeling like someone was going to “take their spot”…people who understood the whole abundance and prosperity thing.
Well, it’s taken longer than I thought. In 2007 I went back to work…thought I’d go play “trucker” for a while and build my business back up while on the road.
The first 2 years was fun. I LOVE driving a big rig. What I’ve had enough of is the lifestyle. Finding time to exercise regularly, eat healthy, or even handle the basics of life like grocery shopping or going to the post office is nearly impossible. It’s tough to find places large enough to park a big truck…or anywhere that companies/cities haven’t put up “No Parking” signs to keep trucks away. It amazes me the way truckers are treated, given the time they spend away from their families so that others have what they want available (groceries, household goods, Christmas gifts, etc.).
Needless to say, it’s no longer fun and my first goal is to get back to working at home. I miss traveling the world when I want, eating the way I know is healthy for me, and exercising regularly. And yes, there was a time that I had started feeling isolated and a bit “social-phobic”. That’s when I started finding things to do on MY terms. My son and I started working for a couple of security companies that did concerts and sporting events so we could get out around people on the weekends we wanted (not to mention onto the ground level of the Rose Bowl and such!). I hooked up with a pet-sitting company that let me choose when I wanted to be available for customers to watch their animals while they were away from home. And I signed up for a few classes…hip-hop dancing and then country line dancing.
At the beginning of the year, I found some marketers that I now follow – people I trust because they tell it like it is. I’m now in the process of learning how to build an online business and it’s taking longer than I like, simply because of time limits I have after 18 hour work days.
Giving up? NOT an option. I’ve learned that it’s possible, even for a single mom from a lower middle-class background, to earn more in a day than I used to make in a year as a computer programmer. I know what it’s like to travel the world and there’s a lot more places I wanna see! I intend to build a business that’s sustainable for my family and future grandkids so they learn that life is more than just the sidewalk under their feet and a 9-5 grind.
I should stop. My apologies if this post is too long. Feel free to edit it down. 🙂
Thanks,
Debi J
Debi that is a wonderful comment. Thanks so much for writing so much.
I think you’re right on the money with your outlook.
I’m a new blogger and already my health is going downhill and my nerves are shattered. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I do notice feelings of worthlessness when I see that no one has commented on my posts. Give it time. I know. I am determined to stick with it: apparently it’s so important for new writers to have a platform. I’ve been very good at giving things up at the past. I normally work very hard for a long time and then in one fine swoop and quite suddenly declare to the world ‘I’m giving up’… That’s what I did with my acting career. Couldn’t handle the rejection. Anyway, if I hadn’t given up on that I wouldn’t have written a book or maybe I would, who knows… Interesting post, it’s good to hear you big shot bloggers a little vulnerable from time to time. Just kidding of course, you do a grand job. Bec 😉
Keep going Rebecca. Try new things and you’ll get there.
I quit teaching at the public school level because it felt like I was fighting at full strength every day, yet I felt completely underappreciated, undervalued, and some days just flat out abused. The limited amount of money they pay teachers was no longer worth it.
If my blogging career ever gets to the point where I begin to feel abused and that there are no longer any beneficial opportunities, despite the fact that I’m giving it my all – then that’s probably when I’ll throw in the hat. But for now, I’ll keep chugging along… 🙂
I quit my old job as an teachers assistant, it just wasn’t right for me and I couldn’t get along with the children and my peers. Maybe its me but after reading this article, I’ve realized I am not meant to deal with children. when do you know when to quit? I guess its when you don’t bother to show up to work the next day.