Hey there, it’s me again.
Yesterday I wrote about what I’m currently doing in the way of a job. Getting out of that job one of my largest motivating factor for why I keep at it… “it” being building my business. The lifestyle that comes with driving a truck and living on the road is one of the least healthy lifestyles I’ve ever seen and certainly the least healthy I’ve experienced, and I’ve worked a TON of different types of jobs.
Starting with the fact that professional truck drivers have a significant larger chance of dying on the job that even policemen and firemen, to the unhealthy diet that’s made available to an “always on the go” population, to the inability to be home to take care of even the basics like paying bills or picking up mail or even sleeping in your own bed!
There are other reasons as well, but until I get my trucking income replacement, everything will continue to move at a snails pace.
The Frustration
So, where do I find time to move my business toward the first goal? Right now I use Dragon Naturally Speaking while I’m driving out on the less traveled sections of the interstate. I’m able to dictate blog posts, articles, ideas that come to mind, and research. Where I’m falling down is on the things that require more attention and focus.
For example:
- My Squid Pro Quo lenses… I’m participating in a Squid Pro Quo challenge to build 30 lenses in 30 days. I’ve researched and registered a lens every day but I haven’t had enough time to fill in the content and grab the links to get them completed.
- My Niche Research Packs… the keyword research is done and the title ideas are done but I haven’t had enough time to sit down and format, organize and complete them. It takes focus for that. I also have to research which PLR providers have PLR available that’s related to the individual packs.
- My Kindle books… The content for two books is nearly done because I can use Dragon, but it takes focus to edit, format and finalize them.
- My PLR Provider review site… I can dictate the review itself while we are moving, but I have to pay more attention while I’m looking at the provider site itself, so the blog stagnates.
- My Blog Posts… Again, this is a place where I can dictate the content with no issues. But locating graphics and setting up text links requires more focus and attention, so I’m not posting every day like I’d like to.
This is why I get frustrated. I’ve spent the past 2.5 years researching, studying, testing, implementing, redoing… Everything I had to do to figure out where I wanted to focus my business initially. I finally know what I’m doing to get income coming in so I can get the hell out of this truck… And can’t find enough focus time to do it!
The Good News (and the reason I will NEVER understand why people don’t get started doing SOMETHING)
I started checking some of my stats this morning and, in spite of this crazy schedule and lifestyle that I’m currently tied to, I managed to make three sales in the last three days on my Halloween Costumes for Couples lens. I can only assume that it’s being found from within Squidoo because it’s not showing up anywhere in the first 3 pages of Google for the keyword. Also, my Halloween Costumes for Kids lens is showing up on page 2, #5 on Google and my Halloween Costumes for Couples and Baby lens is on page 1, #1 but hasn’t made any sales. My Halloween Costume Ideas Funny lens is on page 1, #9, also with no sales.
Neither of these are Squid Pro Quo lenses. They are lenses that I outsourced and published at the end of August. The fact that I have done absolutely nothing with it since it’s been published lets me know how powerful Squidoo is though and I can’t wait to get some of the Squid Pro Quo designed ones out there to compare results.
I have a few more lenses in other niches that have gotten comments and/or have been SquidLiked. I don’t know enough about Squidoo yet to know if that does anything for the lens rankings, but it certainly does something for my motivation. It just feels like I’m accomplishing SOMETHING, even as slow as it’s taking. Slow progress is ALWAYS better than no progress!
It’s time to switch drivers again, so I’ll be back later to talk about more stuff. Hope everyone’s enjoying their weekend!
Until then…