I've done it. You've done it. Everyone's done it. Uh? Started a project and then given up. There are hundreds of examples I can point to – language courses? I must have three sets of Italian courses around the apartment. Unfinished novels? More scripts than Shakespeare in different word processors. And when it comes to my web business? Not a month went by when I started that I didn't embark on some new, riches-to-zillions venture.
So what's going on? Why do we always start projects, full of enthusiasm, and then give up and abandon it?
Everything changed for me when I understood the four levels of learning and applied it to my web business.
Level 1 Learning: This is when you're excited and full of enthusiasm – "I'm going to make millions on the web!" I'm at Level when when I realise that something might, just might, be possible for me. I don't know if I can do it, but the possibility is there, and it really excites me. There's that tingle factor: "Wow – an internet marketing business. Bring it on!"
Level 2 learning: Level 2 is what actually happens! This is when you fall off your bike, so to speak. This is where you realise that there is a gap between what you want to do, and what you actually achieve. Although you could imagine yourself riding your bike like your elder siblings, the reality is very different. And falling off hurts!
And your web business? Well, the first week was great. Well. Almost great. But, somehow, the commitment evaporated. Photoshop turned out to be far more complex than you thought. Let's leave HTML to the geeks.
But wait – Level 2 learning is a really important experience. Nearly all our start/stop experiences can be linked to this. Because it's at this stage of learning that we learned an incredibly important lesson.
We learned this. We learned to give up.
That's right. Giving up is not something that just happens. Giving up is something we al learn to do.
But, of course, in web marketing we don't give up. Oh now. We say, "The market isn't ready for this" or "I made a commercial decision." Oh yeah?
Level 3 learning. But we don't always give up. We did learn to ride the bike. Level 3 is when "things come together". Your auto pulls away from the curb without embarrassing jolts. The cake comes out of the oven looking like a cake should look. Your web page looks almost professional!
You still have to think hard about what you're doing though. Article writing is a chore. There's no fluidity.
It's time to find out about
Level 4 learning: This is when being takes over from doing. It's a level of mastery because you have chosen to stick with it.
So marketing success won't just happen with a click of the fingers. Nor will your PayPal account be dollar rich just by "thinking" about it. But all you need to do is to start – and not give up when you start wobbling. Start finishing instead.