1, 2, 3, Cowabunga! Plunging Deep into Affiliate Marketing

Hi there!

I feel like I’ve dived into the deep end of affiliate marketing. The thing you’ve got to know about me is that I don’t know how to swim (the second thing you’ll learn is, I think in pictures).

So, I thought, I am overwhelmed. What do I need to do? I thought of what happened when I went swimming. As a kid, when I dived into the deep end of a pool, I needed to get safely to the side as soon as possible. So what I’d do is jump in and stop struggling. Instinct says to get to the top of the water as quickly as possible. Instead, I would get very still and sink to the bottom as soon as possible. Then I’d focus on relaxing, so gravity could pull me up out of the water. As soon as I popped up, I’d take a deep breath, kick, and flail my arms forward to get to the side of the pool ASAP. Then I’d climb up and happily run back to the diving board. You see, I like that feeling of being pulled up by gravity.

So I thought, ok, I feel I’m submerged and drowning. I should get very calm and centered and think this through. Hence, I allowed myself to “sink to the bottom” of my imagination. Instead of allowing gravity to rescue me, I focused on what Dean Holland calls the four core focus areas: driving traffic, capturing emails, follow-up, and offers. I imagine I’m trusting this daily process to pull me out of that sinking feeling like I would trust gravity to pull me out of deep water. And when I finish for the day, I’m popping up for air. That’s when I ask questions, check my stats (still at 0 across the board), and notate them. Then the next day, I happily begin again.

This image is how I’m dealing with the “overwhelm” of starting an online affiliate marketing business. So far, it’s working pretty well. I’m focusing on what daily tasks I need to do and trusting if I continue, success will come. No need to panic.

Today I published my first blog article. Talk about a deep dive! My goal is to make a substantial income online and to help others who need to do the same find their way as I make mine. I hope to make enough money to fuel my husband’s car hobby in the long run. In the short term, I want to contribute to our finances and become financially comfortable. I don’t have much hype here, but  I have a much-determined gumption. I’m going to be a success.

I hope you are interested in my progress. What do you think of my daily strategy? Is there anything you would add? How do you deal with overwhelm? What encouragement would you give me as a beginner?