2009, Year of the newbie 5.1.09

Been itching to get this off my chest.

I don't really care for "labels" like "newbies" or "gurus" and it is meaningless to me, saying that, the "label" is just the common form of the communicational understanding, so in that sense...I'll use them here.

For good reason, with a foot in IM, a foot in blogging, a foot in social (twitter, facebook, forums, feed sharing, etc) sites, I hope to have a leg or two, at least, to stand on... :o)

I am certainly no "newbie"...I'm no expert either just to be clear. :-D

That's the thing, I don't claim to be anything other than me, I have just done what I have done, learnt what I have learnt, and continue to do these things daily. I do have the benefit of experience and the fact I have gone through that learning curve which is in some way a good enough reason to write this.

If anything due to the time online being like dog years it could save you aload of hassle, wasted time and money while being led down the wrong "slicked out path" of some "guru" or scammer.

There ain't no magic pill that's for sure!

Did I look??

Of course, some will say yes, just by saying what most newbies do at some point, "how can I make money from that," nodding and pointing to your pc. ;o)

In 2009 there will be a LOT of people doing just that!

Is it possible then? Yes...but overnight? NO, not for a "newbie."

What is possible is to start building that chain of action that can lead to "overnight riches"....note I never said success, success is purely subjective.

In reality I'd rather you dropped the whole notion if you have any, of it is "easy" which is what the "gurus" would have you believe.

This holiday season has been a little eye opener for me, it seems to me most of the "gurus" are either, liars who getting caught out, "dream" salesmen who don't care, too greedy for their own good, or just plain insulting....possibly they are a mix of all.

A few are just "one hit wonders" who are now realising they have nothing left to offer, so rehash their (often outdated) crap and sell for unusually high prices.

A few even peddled their crap on Christmas day!

If they were as rich as they have said so often over the last few years why are they so desperate to drain your wallet/purse of the one thing you need more than them, money?

They promise you will make more money, yet take that very thing off you without a care in the world.
They shouldn't need it like most of those who will inevitably seek a few extra pounds, dollars in these belt tightening, unsure times.

They think they have the trust they all too often say it's so important to build up! They will even preach this very thing to those newbies they lure. ;o)

I know...It's ok, I'm not going anywhere, I'll wait for you get off the floor from your laughing fit.

A joke is it not! ;o)

They are so "predictable" these greedy "fakers" it is sad.

Yet they are after your money, they will try and entice the newbies yet to appear in the fishing bowl that is Internet marketing, making money online niche, with promises of "push button, cash in" ease of riches.

Forget about them!

Do this....use your common sense at all times. ;o)

Here is my biggest tip for anyone online.

Treat the Internet how you would "real" life.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
You would laugh at this stuff offline...much like you do with "junk mail."

You know this, we all know this...so why do some get so burned so easy, so fast?

Same reason people but lotto tickets maybe?

They want the easy way, the dream, all at once.

It pushes all the right buttons. ;o)

Do yourself a big favour and don't get "lured in" by the wrong people.

Don't you think that's sensible? :o)



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posted by Rob Sellen @ 3:54 PM, , links to this post



"Happy new year, same shit different day?" 1.1.09

Happy new year!



While it is nice to see some of us can afford to relax!!

Most people are either nursing a sore head, tidying up a real after party mess or back to work!

Some of us now setting goals or if you like resolutions to achieve in 2009, starting today while that's ok I am not sure it's a good thing in some ways as it can also set you up for a bit of early disappointment depending on what it is, ie: give up smoking TODAY. (Failure tomorrow?)

So I am taking a slightly different route this year knowing it's going to be more beneficial to me over the short, medium and long term, but I will have goals but...

Instead of just setting goals, planning the action to take you forward to them goals then taking the action needed to reach them, most people get bogged down by "stuff" that creeps back into the normality after the new year optimism.

Daily slots.

I am setting daily slots of big action to avoid getting bogged down by the "stuff" normality brings us, you may have seen someone wearing a t' shirt proudly declaring...

"Same shit, different day!"

That is a truth for way too many of us! For far too many days!

I learnt a powerful lesson reading something Steve Jobs mentioned in a speech...(worth reading)

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

I have been saying that to myself for the last few months each morning and it has made a difference in a big way. I realise while it's ok to have goals as people do, such and such by 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc, it's the daily ones that matter the most as we are only here today, now.

Well for someone working online, that "stuff" that bogs you down is a time and money sucker, after all time is money.
That "stuff" is a distraction and can waste time we can't afford to waste.
That "stuff" is, for someone working online things like forums, social sites, twitter, facebook, etc reading blogs too much etc.

Two sides to it all

But there lies the rub, it is a double edged sword, as we need to do this "stuff" too in many cases, it is finding that balance to make it all worthwhile and fit together for the bigger picture.

If you are to "work" online you need to earn money, you can't do everything for nothing as it won't last, before long you don't even have an Internet connection!

Some will say "well you make the money in traffic and connections from these social sites, forums, blogs etc"...yes it's a part of that double edge sword as a sort of a marketing action.

But without something to sell, or earn from by way of service etc from that marketing action it is useless, because there is something fundamentally missing...

Buy me buttons!
Hire me buttons!

If, as I suspect will happen sometime somewhere given the current economy, someone is to say, "hmmm maybe there is something in this making a living online lark"

They will need to grasp that simple fact!

For you to "get" money, you have to give them a way of giving you that money.

A value exchange.

So there you have it, my daily goal, increase what value I can give, and create more buttons to
allow the acceptance of money. :o)

See I am sick of these so called "people who know better" telling us what we should and shouldn't do, saying things like...

You shouldn't be "monetising" a blog, it's against our unwritten code of "ethical" blogging.

What?
Should I highlight the most important bit there? I will, done.

Bugger off, do what ya like with your blog, I couldn't give a toss, THIS one is mine and I decide what goes here! :o)

Cheeky sods!

In any case...the truth is I don't want to "monetise my blog", I want to "monetise my time and business!"

That doesn't mean stopping using social sites etc, it means using my time to better effect, ALL the time, making daily slots of big action that gets results.

That is my aim this year henceforth known as 2009!

The end of the "same shit different day" for me!

What goals and actions have you set yourself for 2009?



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posted by Rob Sellen @ 4:34 PM, , links to this post



"Today is that day" 25.12.08

To say...

Happy Christmas!

All the best for 2009!




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posted by Rob Sellen @ 5:42 PM, , links to this post



"101 Recession busting tips- free book" 22.12.08

Just a few days away from Christmas and the new year...guessing you have all your preparation ready for the big day to enjoy with your families. :o)

I hope it it's a great Christmas for you and the family.

I also wish you all the best for 2009 which is almost here.

But lets' be honest here, after the new year starts life creeps back to... normal and a fair old chunk of us face the reality of the recession which is not a great start to the year, but as we all know recessions are cyclical so there is always light at the end of the...



What wont happen is staying put....we have to get through that tunnel!

Well I have good news which is this free book to help anyone with getting through the recession.

Old?
Young?
Got kids?
Double income in the home?
Own business?
Shares?
Good stable job?
Just want to make changes?
Boss looking to shaky for your peace of mind?
About to lose it?
Just uncertain?

Whatever situation you are in whether one or all of the above, these 101 tips have something for all, something foreverybody.

It's not just all about...



Though money tips are there, saving money, improving your money management, making money, helping kids with money, money alone has it's own issues, depending on how you see it...




The recession will provide opportunity for those who see it, opportunity to change habits, create better understanding of the cycle for the next time it hits, as it certainly will.

For those who don't see opportunity, preparing for the end half of the recession is just as important as what you do now as we go into it, if only for the fact you can springboard yourself using built up leverage coming out of the recession, whether through saving a little, or starting a new venture, hobby, habits.

Use the tips, use the recession. :o) >> Beat the recession!






P.s No idea if the book will stay free, so grab it while you can. :o)

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posted by Rob Sellen @ 6:27 PM, , links to this post



"Time to reflect, then plan ahead" 18.12.08

Not long till 2008 passes us by and 2009 kicks in, the years are going fast the space between pondering the last year and looking forward to the next are getting closer, so it seems!

Time waits for no man!
Where better to contemplate the last year and consider the next year than here?





As the sun sets on 2008 do you feel you achieved the goals, resolutions you set out this time last year?

If you did, great, if not, maybe consider the size of the goals and time you set to achieve them, it's one reason resolutions don't work well, 9 times out of 10 they are spontaneous and set just because "people set them."

"Gonna give up smoking, Jan 1st" is quite common, but how hard is that to achieve?
Most likely you cave in on Jan second, then you have failed....that's it, you don't bother after that.

Better to say...

"I will give up by the end of Jan" then plan to do that, set it out so you can cut down in stages over that month, this way even if you don't quite make it, you may have gone a long way to it, like cutting down a by 3/4 of what you were smoking.

This way you are much more likely to carry on trying, not think you failed.
Well you certainly won't think, "ah well, almost did it" then start smoking more will you?

If you have to make a resolution, at least make it realistic. :o)

Goals are a bit different I think, at least any goal you set out can be good, no matter how small, if it's progressive in some way to moving you forward it's good.

If you set out a main goal, aim high, this will make you more motivated to try, and if you don't make the stars, at least you hit the clouds.

But plan for the clouds...have step goals which lead you in the right direction, each small goal reached is motivation and proof of progress.

It's been a topsy turvy year for myself, but there are lessons in everything for us to take away.

I have to say it wasn't a great year for me in some ways, but in looking back it's cleared alot of the "fog" in my mind in the plans I had set out in 2008, and in turn has made 2009 a much clearer path for me.

The most important thing of all is your health and family.

THAT was my biggest lesson of 2008!

Without those...it's doesn't matter what happens, you can win the lotto, have all the money in world, realise all the dreams you can make, anything you could want would be worthless!

For me the main goals for 2009 are to strengthen my own family links, bonds, as they are the number one priority and the other to better my health, if there is one thing I have learnt, sitting in front a PC too much ain't good for ya! :o/

I have set one goal to take more photos, one a day at least because it really is a good way of getting out and about and staying fit and with so much to capture out there it will be fun!

There are other goals I have set myself, one is to go full time online asap! :o)

I can see 2009 being the year everything changes a bit online with the rise of social sites etc.

It has levelled the playing field alot more than it was just a few years ago.

What lessons can you take from 2008?
Have you set goals for 2009?



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posted by Rob Sellen @ 2:56 PM, , links to this post