Persistence – the critical trait for success, in any endeavor

(Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes)

[I suspect most current readers of Website In A Weekend haven't met Anna yet. Anna was one of the very first people who commented on Website In A Weekend, way back when. In fact I think she may have found me first on one of my earlier blogs (There Is No Box). In any case, Anna actually makes money online, but has temporarily retired from blogging to build up her new web services business. As I mentioned when I introduced Gabe Young, when I thought about who I would like to have on "staff," I immediately thought of Anna. Note: the Squidoo links are referrals for Anna. I don't have a problem with that. Nothing succeeds like success. -dave]

We’ve all heard about persistence.

When I first began working online I saw that while there were thousands of people looking for ways to earn money online, only a percentage of them became successful, and a handful became extremely successful.

While you still hear the occasional story of the cyber-rapid progression from rags to riches, these stories become fewer and further between. There is more competition online than there was a few years ago (although, once you really know what you’re doing, there isn’t really much real competition). And it isn’t possible to short-cut or cheat oneself into momentary wealth, as it once was.

I decided that the prime difference between the successful and the not-so-successful must be, primarily, persistence.

There are many other qualities. Ability to focus, to pick out key data and value importances, to study and apply, to learn from ones mistakes, to finish what you start … and probably a lot more I could list out.

But this factor of persistence must rank among the top make-break qualities of a successful Internet Marketer, or a Successful-Internet-Marketer-To-Be.

Positive attitude helps. Deciding one is going to do something and that no barriers are going to stop one. Deciding that one will study and work to get past any barriers. Deciding that success is possible.

But even if you don’t have a positive attitude – persistence might get you there anyway!

If you have ever seen a hungry man open a can of food with a broken can opener, you might get the picture of what I am talking about.

Tonight at about 4:00 a.m. (writing from Belgium) I published my thirty-eighth Squidoo Lens for a certain niche I’m working on. I’m trying to get 50 lenses made before 30 September 2008 so I can become a “Giant Squid” on Squidoo (want to join me?) as well as create a solid backing in that niche with a network of good-quality educational pages. I had two more articles ready and waiting for me to make them into Squidoo Lenses.

I’ve made about 30 Squidoo Lenses in the last two weeks, and I have 12 to go.

I said, “That’s it. For the first time in two years, I have had enough of my computer! I just want to go to the beach or something!” (I’m not even a beach person). I said, “And I’m not even bringing my laptop! I’m just going to sit there. I’ve had enough of Squidoo Lenses.”

Then I sighed, got up, and said, “Well, at least I’ll go get a cup of coffee.”

So I got up, made my coffee, sat down again, and grumpily started making my next Squidoo Lens.

Well, I don’t know if one would say I have such a “positive attitude” this evening. Or at least not a cheerful one. I have already started dreaming about Search Engine Results Pages. Next it will probably be Squidoo.

In fact, I got a pretty funny look from my husband when he told me the best way to make coffee without a filter, and I said “make a Squidoo Lens about it honey.”

Well, Squidoo is tons of fun.

But after 30 lenses in two weeks on technical subjects, I think we can all agree… even the most fun stuff can get un-fun.

Un-fun is going to happen sometimes in Internet Marketing. The “thing you should do right now” might not always be the “thing you feel like doing right now.”

And once you get rolling on one project, it’s just too easy to drop it and go haring off after a new “more fun” project. (You might not label it that way, but lets face the facts: it might not be “more fun,” just new!)

You know, that first project might have been on the brink of creating some serious income… before you balked at the less exciting work that you would have had to do next. Or the bigger tasks that had to be completed. (Like … um, original content? Cough.)

So it’s not just a matter of persistence in Internet Marketing in general.

There is also persistence in carrying a given project through to the end.

You know, that “get ‘er done” thing.

If you really need a break from what you are doing, take a break. A little bit of time spent watching the Muppets on YouTube can be therapeutic. So can a walk around the block. As long as your break is proportionally small to your effort, you’re good to go. That is, work a lot, take a little break.

Or if your current task gets too mundane, work on something else for a little bit. But work on something valuable.

Like – make a Squidoo Lens!  Or, if you are tired of Squidoo, write a blog post about it.

Anna Williams is a blogger, webmaster, photographer, and poet. She has lived and traveled in four continents, and currently lives in a forest, in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her personal blog, view photos, or read poetry. Anna offers website development and related services.