Why Time Is the Only Thing You Need to Be Successful
If you truly want to be successful in a new venture, time will be your best friend and enemy.
Time + Repetition = Success
The above classic phrase is an often repeated ode to success that’s as old as, well, time itself.
But how often do we pay attention to that simple formula?
When you last sat down to try something different, did the thought that you’d have to spend months or years to become proficient at it cross your mind?
If you’re a fellow human, (looking at you Zuckerbot), then you probably didn’t.
New ventures are jumped into, not waded
Us humans are people of the moment, not of long term planning and contemplation.
Well, most of us anyway.
Just think of entrepreneurs. They aren’t typically described as being methodical. No, they’re known for being spontaneous and daring!
And I’d bet some hefty pocket lint that many of the people reading this article (assuming its more than just me) are also likely trying to or want to make money online.
That’s the beauty of the gig economy.
Don’t believe me? Just look at this article from January 2019:
“24% of Americans 18+ earn income by working in the gig economy” — Edisonresearch.com
That’s a crazy high number, and it’s only projected to increase over time.
The modern economy
It’s truly becoming easier than ever to earn money online. Terms like solopreneur, side hustler, and freelancer have become commonplace now.
And they should be! Just think about the multitude of ways you can make money online now:
- Programming
- App creating
- Blogging
- Affiliate marketing
- Dropshipping
- Transcribing
- Taking pictures of your face every day 100 times per hour
The list goes on and on!
Slow down before you venture
With more and more competition in the crowded space on online entrepreneurship arriving every day, a solopreneur’s job is becoming increasingly difficult to succeed at.
Dropshipping had its golden period in the early 2010s.
5 years ago was a perfect time to get big on Twitter, before they had the follow limits and stopped 3rd party software helping that practice.
The late 2000s was a ‘pretty’ age to be a ‘pretty’ boy on Youtube (what’s up Biebs) before they had to implement the many, many controls on what you can upload now.
Blogging had its first heyday in the early 2000’s — there’s a revival in it now, but that’s thanks to platforms like Medium and Wordpress.
The point is, making money online comes in waves of new mini-industries. And those get quickly crowded once word gets out about finding easy gold in the interwebs!
How can you make a lot of money online then?
Knowing that most methods of earning online are full of competition these days, it only leaves a newcomer with a few options:
- Do it as a side hustle to pay your coffee tabs every month — that is, don’t expect to be able to quit your day job, but do it as a hobby for fun and some small cash
- Be on the lookout for new avenues and gigs online to make money — If you’re attentive and lucky enough to notice a new money-making avenue online, then jump on it! The early bird gets the worm after all.
- Be willing to hunker down and work hard at it for an extended period — whether it’s blogging or freelancing, be prepared to put in a hell of a lot of time if you want to make decent earnings someday
Full circle
And so we come back to that old tried but true formula for success.
Time + Repetition = Success
That is, with enough time and enough practice, I can guarantee*** you will reach a level of success that you’ll be proud of.
Want to become a blogger?
Be prepared to spend one to two years writing an hour almost every day before you have a decent following. Go ahead and look up some of the more famous blogger writers out there. Those with 10’s of thousands of followers that they can record a sneeze and publish to make $100. They didn’t get those followers overnight, it took them years of hard work.
Feel like making a great online store?
Make a couple of practice ones first. Spend half a year learning all about the programming, platforms, and marketing tactics out there.
Want to freelance code for other companies?
You’ll need a portfolio of good quality work, and that takes time.
A lot of what it takes to become successful in the gig economy is marketing yourself. If you don’t know how to do that in a professional and trustworthy manner (I don’t mean posting 10,000 pics of your face on the ‘Gram), then guess what — it takes time.
Time, time, time — to make money!
Last advice to the noobie out there
So please, hypothetical future solopreneur reader, take a moment before you sit down to attempt that new money-making hobby.
Ask yourself, are you willing to do it day in and day out for one to two years? It’s perfectly okay if you aren’t, just please measure your expectations.
And if you are willing to put in all that time and effort — then I can’t wait to hear about your success story here in two years!
‘Rant’ over.
Have a wonderful day and check out some of my other stuff here! — J.J. Pryor
