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Jean Sarauer (7)Starting at Zero: Online Business
By
Goal: Make my first dollar ever online.
As I type these first few words I’m sitting in a small room in a tiny farming village in Western Japan. I keep punching seemingly randomly at my keyboard hoping somehow it will help me learn about online marketing. All I can hear is the steady hum of my computer and the constant ticking of a small hamburger shaped kitchen timer counting down the seconds until I take another 5 minute break. I just turned 25 and I haven’t got the faintest clue about online business.
For the next 3 months I’m teaching English to little kids next to rice patties in Japan. Before this I lived in a mountain in Southern California 30 miles from the nearest town and before that it was my real home, Oklahoma. Financial success is a foreign word to me. So how come I KNOW I’ll be able to successfully live my awesome dream lifestyle with money earned from my currently non-existent business?
Especially considering I know ZERO about online business and online marketing?
I know what success takes (not with money yet).
I’ve been there with other parts of my life that have nothing to do with money. And it starts with a vision. I have a vision. It’s in my head and I look at it every time I want a jolt of motivationbuidlin (I suggest you create your own). You have to dedicate yourself to building your own vision. Then you make a plan and GO. You go, you see what works, you see what doesn’t and you change your plans accordingly.
But always GO. With drive. And with passion.
So I’ve started to go with the knowledge that success comes from modeling success. And with that in mind I found a mentor by the name Alex Jeffreys. I suggest everyone check him out if you don’t know him already. Keep watching this blog and KNOW that my (future) success is from modeling Alex Jeffreys success. I know his model is successful. I’ve seen it in his other students.
The only question is:
will I make it successful for me?
Yes.
But, the hardest part is of reaching success is keeping yourself on track. When I close my eyes I have a visual image in my head of my dream lifestyle. It’s great for motivation. This is not an accident. I deliberately created this image so that I can call it up ANY time I need to. It’s really useful and it helps me stay on track.
I have also created a pledge to myself from the word dedication. I have this posted directly in front of me right now and I will use it throughout my journey. I have no doubt that I will succeed if I put each part of this pledge into action in my daily life.
Read mine and if any part of it helps motivate you then use it. Each word was chosen specifically because of the emotional fire it creates when I think about it. Or make your own using words that compel you emotionally to act. You have to choose words that stir you and make you want to leap into action. The actual meaning of the words doesn’t really matter a whole lot. What matters is how it compels you to strive towards your goal and your vision.
Here it is,
D.E.D.I.C.A.T.I.O.N.
- Desire
- Every single day
- Determined
- Intense Focus
- Commit
- Always Move Forward
- Take Action
- Insatiable Drive
- Obsessive Work Ethic
- No Excuses Ever
I have lots of little techniques I use for motivation but I think that knowing how to push yourself into action is HUGE.
Now what I want to hear from everyone else out there is this:
What do you use to motivate yourself?
Please leave your answer in a comment and let’s all help each other build our own dream.
If you are just starting out like me then use this to help motivate yourself.
If you have already built your dream then let us newbies glimpse at what it took to motivate you to success.
Leave your comments now! Thanks!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
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Twitter: tmaricatgmail.com
says:
Hey Darren what a bubbling site with content and life! I’d be proud to be the
owner of such a fantastic blog!
Will be coming back here to check out what you’re up to!
Well done mate
marica theuma
Twitter: tmaricatgmail.com
says:
hey darren,
!
This blog is so fantastic full of content and all…it really has a life of it’s
own I’d say! You must be such a cool bloke to be able to do all this!
You know your enthusiasm is inspiring! Great to be keeping in touch
with you in here as well as a mate at Alex’s our great mentor
Well done!
marica theuma
Hey Marica, thanks for the comment!
Glad to be with you on Alex’s training. I hope I can give at least a little bit of value to you when you visit! Keep up the hard work with the training.
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Twitter: DNSEOCOMPANY
says:
Wow Darren, you are really getting around!
Let’s see…my motivation is my daughter and my own internal desire to succeed. I’ve always known that I was born to do great things, and this is just the beginning. I’ve been trying to find my way for years, and have had a few success thus far. Yet I’m determine to succeed online.
Cheers,
LaTonya
P.S. I love your blog…you’re a natural!
LaTonya Johnson´s last blog ..Article Marketing on Speed
Hey LaTonya,
Thanks for the comment! That’s really awesome motivation.I really love the passion you were able to fit in just a couple sentences. And the determination. Can’t wait to see great things from you!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
p.s. – Really good title for your post. Very hard to resist clicking on it. =)
@Ashawnra – Thanks! I’ve tried to put work into my writing but it still needs some more focus. I appreciate the support!
@Sandy – Really great. I’m glad to see you commit yourself to making your vision become a reality.
Thanks.
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Thanks for the comments!
@Charlotte – Thanks for your support! Can’t wait to see your success as well.
@Adam – Glad you’re using some really powerful techniques to stay focused. That’s awesome!
Darren, Wow! Love your post. You definatly have a way with words and your honesty shows through. I ‘will’ be keeping an eye on your blog. As for what keeps me motivated…well… I would have to say, because I’ve attempted internet marketing for so long without any success, I have the need to prove to myself that I can be successful. I don’t want to fail anymore. It’s time for my vision to become a reality. To your success. Sandy
Darren just had to stop in to tell you that i have become an instafan! hahaha
i am your instant fan i love your style of writting and the way your words just jump of the page for me i look forward to reading more of your work
All the best,
Ashawndra Michelle
Ashawnra Michelle´s last blog ..From Nothing to Something: On the Journey to Success
Hey Darren,
Your doin great with this blog man it looks fantastic and you already have a lot of content. You hit the nail on the head when you talked about anything you want to achieve in this life has to start with a vision, I do this all the time to help keep me focused on what i want and where i see myself in the future. You have to know where you are going before you can start on the road to get there.
Spread the good word my friend
Talk soon
Adam
Adam´s last blog ..My First Blog Post
Hey Darren,
what a great story you shared, thanks! It really is inspiring, and I just love your DETERMINATION! Fantastic.
I like your honesty, and you will be a success and you will make your first dollar online! I am glad to be in touch with you and to see us succeed online together!
Carpe diem,
Charlotte
Hey Chris,
Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it. A good attitude is the only thing I have much experience in at this stage so I’m trying to take advantage of it.
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Darren,
You are doing great love your writing and your attitude you are going to great!
Glad to have met you and thanks for stopping by and leaving the nice comments on my Blog.
Talk Soon,
Chris
Chris Jenkins´s last blog ..Day Off Smelling The Roses
[...] I would give you a glimpse at my workspace. (If you haven’t yet, check out my first post Starting at Zero: Online Business to see how I’m motivating myself within this [...]
@davy – “The thing that motivates me is im in a job i hate for the last 9 years so anytime i think of that it just makes me work harder to change it this seems to do the job love your post great blog keep in touch”
This is great for so many reasons. Just like Abhrajit said too. Using your current job as motivation is great.
THINK ABOUT IT…
If you have a job you hate you could do two things:
1. Complain about it and feel depressed about having such a crappy job and whine about your life…
OR
2. Tell yourself to work harder towards making your ideal life happen by working harder to motivate yourself each time you think about your job you hate. Connect the bad feelings (your job) to something beneficial to yourself (working harder to change it).
Nice!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
@Anthony Murphy – Thanks for letting me know and thanks for reading that page! I think I fixed the problem so you can make comments there now. I love Anthony Robbins. I think his strategies (derived from NLP) for changing your life are amazing. I suggest everyone check him out.
@Sally Neill – Thanks for the comment! I liked your site too (hence the comment there) I’ll be heading back there often.
@Abhrajit – Good job using your current job as motivation! I do the same!
Thanks for the recent comments everyone!
This is really getting pretty lively!
Isn’t it great how the more that people comment the more little pieces of value come out?
@John Coates – Thanks! That means a lot coming from a much more established blog than mine. I read through your blog and it was great. LOTS of really good info there.
@Abizer – You’re right! VISION is something that is absolutely vital. Actually I’m gonna write down that word to keep myself reminded. Thanks for your input!
@Douglas J Gregory – Thanks for the comment! I’m keeping an eye on your blog too.
@Matthew Cook – Thanks! Yeah Alex Jeffreys is great. I just found out about Dean Holland recently but his blog and journey is awesome. Hopefully we can follow Alex Jeffrey’s advice as well as he did.
Hi Darren
Great post! very inspirational. enjoyed it. I love your writing style. Agree with Davy. My current day job makes me work harder to change it.
Good luck and keep in touch.
AD
http://www.abhrajit.com
Twitter: sallyneill
says:
Hey Darran, what a lovely post, I really did enjoy reading it, you are so unselfish and giving, a lot of love is coming your way, Sally
Sally Neill´s last blog ..In It To Win It And Need YOUR Help
Hi Darren,
I enjoyed your article on your ‘life changing wisdom’ page, but I couldn’t leave a comment there for some reason, so I’ll share my wisdom with your here.
Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that refers to continuous improvement. Tony Robbins talks about this as CANEI; Constant & Never Ending Improvement. Its not the massive changes that make the difference in life, its the small, but relentlessly consistent efforts that make the difference.
Hope that makes sense
Love & Peace
Tony
Anthony Murphy´s last blog ..I’m no expert, but…
Fantastic Post Darren,
I have signed up to Alex Jeffreys Course this year
After reading and watching Dean Holland grow. I want
to have the millionaire lifestyle.
I hope to meet you oneday at some of his seminars
you sound like a really cool bloke.
I’ll keep reading mate
Matt
Matthew Cook´s last blog ..Todays To Do List!
hey Darren
The thing that motivates me is im in a job i hate for the last 9 years so anytime i think of that it just makes me work harder to change it this seems to do the job love your post great blog keep in touch
thanks
Davy
Hey Darren,
Your blog is coming along just fine.
I’ve noticed that most of MWA students are doing a rip roaring job getting their websites up and running.
I’ll bookmark your site and take some time over the next days to go over your stuff but for all practical purposes, your looking great!
I look forward to working with you,
Doug
Douglas J Gregory´s last blog ..How to make 100 dollars a day on the internet
Hey Darren,
Good post buddy. I think motivation is the key factor here.
But you know what my problem was … “VISION”. Though I am a computer engineer, have been working in IT for the last 10 years, I somehow did not have a vision … folks, friends, colleague all do – of becoming a director, or vice-president, or country country head, or whatever …
However I somehow was always inclined to work for myself and was constantly finding my vision so that I can work towards it. It did not happen until a month back that I started seeing my vision emerge as a ship from the horizon …. guess what? it’s all happened after I learnt about something called as “Online Business/Marketing”, and the vision started to become clear when I enrolled for MWA3.0 …. It’s still becoming clearer and clearer as Alex and all of us help each other move forward …
I’ll mentioned this in my next post, and you keep your thoughts flowing …
Oh and yeah, you have a nice picture … guess its a gravatar?
Cheers!
Abizer
Hi Darren
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving some comments – much appreciated.
You have a great writing style which in itself is very motivating to others. Keep that up, watch the number of visitors increase and this will also keep you motivated.
Good luck and have fun with Alex’s course.
John
John Coates´s last blog ..Secrets Of A Squeeze Page – Part Three
@Nicky – Thanks. I can tell you’ll be sitting up there at the top someday soon. See ya there.
Peace,
Darren L Carter
yo yo
nice post mate
what you do there with the
kids will pay you back big time
once you have mastered the crazy
world of cyber space you will
use the knowledge of what you know
now and make your dreams come true my friend
be good.. i will return
nicky
Thanks for the great input everyone!
@Peter – Using possible pain and loss as motivation is a really great strategy! Good quote too, “remember that determination will win in the end!”
@Simon – Thanks. This really meant a lot to me when I read it, “can’t see much getting in your way.”
@Brandon – Great to hear that you’ve had more focus and drive since the Alex Jeffrey’s coaching program has started. I’ve been the same!
@Pauline – That’s a unique and really cool goal. Hopefully everyone’s goals keep moving higher and higher!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Great post Darren, very inspirational. When I retire I plan on literacy tutoring as a volunteer.
I love your writing style and I am sure your goal will be in the thousands very soon and you can share with us the methods.
Pauline´s last blog ..My experiences so far
Hey Darren, great going on getting your blog up and running. I’ve been messing with IM for a couple years now, but have never had the focus and drive that I’ve had since starting AJ’s coaching.
Here is to all the 3.0 students, and all his other students crushing it online!
Brandon
BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..Warrior’s Stumble – Breaking Through Barriers
Twitter: slcroft
says:
Hi Darren,
Great first post, loved the style of your writing.
Should imagine the experience you are getting in Japan will help no-ends too, all the teaching you are giving the kids there, very worthwhile, just the same as all the teaching you will be giving people when you succeed.
I see you are a very focused, driven person, can’t see much getting in your way.
Good luck
Simon
Twitter: givesvalue
says:
Hi Darren,
Absolutely loved your post – hard to believe you are just starting out. your writing style is great and your readers will love it.
For me motivation is many of the things mentioned in your other comments but the over-riding one is to remind myself of what happens if I lose focus and start to fail in our MWA 3.0 program. I have invested a significant amount of our savings in this program and in my pledge I have stated “remember that determination will win in the end!”
good luck mate and stay close ….we can learn and share with each other as we make this opportunity a REAL WINNER
Peter Beckenham´s last blog ..My First Steps….
Thanks for the comments everyone!
@Anna – That’s a great source of motivation! Some I’m sure most of us out there can connect with (I know I can!)
@Julie – I agree 100% with you. Memtoring from Alex Jeffreys will help keep us on track but ultimately it comes down to taking action!
@Nathan – THAT is a great strategy for motivation that really resonates with me. Take advantage of the motivation you get from your kids and consciously use it to push yourself to greatness!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
Twitter: nathanrufus
says:
Hey Darren.
Brilliant post.
The answer to your question is Monsters Inc. That’s my motivation. My two kids Kaylen and Jasmine.
If ever I’m tired or just feel lazy, just think of them and right back on track.
Nice blog and brilliant post.
Reach new heights.
Nathan
Nathan Rufus´s last blog ..From Information Junkie To Infopreneur. Who’s Coming With Me?…
Hi Darren
Your’re right it is very hard to keep motivated and on track, but this course will help us to do both.
I am also keeping a record of what I am doing on a daily basis, so that I can use the information to create reports etc.. to give away to my every growing list!
Good luck with your IM business and keep taking ACTION.
Julie
Twitter: anna_haller
says:
Hi Darren,
I love your post! Especially the first paragraph, you were so descriptive it made me feel like I was in Japan with you, awesome stuff!
Financial success is no longer going to be a foreign word to you because you are definitely on your way to the top. That’s great that you are in Japan and have the opportunity to travel and especially help those kids. Living here in the Philippines there is so much that I plan on doing as well to help the kids here and just make it a better place for them to live in. That is part of my motivation and why I’m doing this. I want to help so many people and helping them with my time is one thing but having the funds to help them is another.
I see you are a visual person and that is awesome in helping you get motivated as what you think about you bring about. I too imagine that I am a success online and visualize what that will mean for me, what I will have and who I will help.
Keep on going no matter what and not only will you be a success online but you will be success offline as well. To the top, don’t stop!
Anna
Hey Darren
Like the little tweaks you made to your blog post, looks better.
Cheers
Jaycee Online!
Jaycee´s last blog ..The Oven Gloves Are Off!
Hi Darren
Interesting post, well done. You know motivation is a toughie for me. I very often have a lot of passion when I begin anything, but in the past this tends to fizzle out like the bubbles in an unfinished can of coke.
But I too have a pledge: I’ve written it out and kept it before my eyes just as Alex Jeffreys said would be wise for me to do. And it is helping me to keep focus.
I also set up a daily timetable with timeslots prepared for everything from waking up to going to bed – hey, I have a problem with structure – I get distracted easily, so I need to learn to be a disciplined person!
You know, my motivation right now is a belief in following the coaching program Alex is presenting exactly to the tee. I don’t want to overlook the little steps because I know that is what it takes to progress – the little steps taken consistently end up in a movement forward that shows that we have come a long way.
So I don’t have a motif for motivation…No, wait I do!!
Again, it came from Mr Jeffreys.
KOTOBOT is my inspiration and motivation – KEEPING ON TOP OF BEING ON TOP.
It makes so much sense to me. I look outside at my very long and unkempt garden – filling up with weeds instead of grass. Well, you know what – my hubbie and I spent weeks last year digging and weeding, yanking out cutting the deep and dastardly weeds taking over what should be a beautiful garden.
But we didn’t keep on top of it, we didn’t till the soil and replant fresh grass seed, so now? We haven’t really gotten anywhere with this – we are back at square one – a huge garden full of dastardly weeds.
So, my motivation ifor sure is: to keep on top of being on top (KOTOBOT). I have to keep moving forward, it’s the only way. So full steam ahead and ahoy, there, laddie!
I have a feeling we’re going to make it.
Wishing you every success and keep in touch.
Jaycee Online signing out!
http://www.janetchandler.com
Janet,
Wow, thanks for your comment!
You should have seen my smile when I saw I had my first comment.
I’m glad you reminded me of KOTOBOT. With all the new information we are processing it is easy to let some things slide. KOTOBOT is a great way to keep yourself on top of everything. The story about the weeds really gave me a vivid picture of WHY we need to Keep On Top Of Being On Top.
Thanks!
Peace,
Darren L Carter