(I've been reviewing some material lately about online business from An Online Sunshine Plan, and thought to make some excerpts available so you can improve your life as you are leading it. These are also on scribeshare.net, and are linked or embedded below. Thanks for visiting.)
I. Purpose/Passion - what drives you, what makes you really happy?
Now this may seem weird to be the first chapter in a book, coming from someone who is writing about how to make or take your business online -- but I've had to work backward at this. Trust me, if you want to see some really weird stuff, just look up Internet marketing and see the 3 and 5-ring circuses just waiting to sell you a ticket to see the freak shows inside.
No kidding. Probably the worst thing you can see online is Internet marketers marketing Internet Marketing to Internet marketers. Hype vs. Hype vs. Hype. And it just doesn't quit. A lot of money changes hands, but statistically, only a very small percentage make any real money. And I'll explain why in the next section. It has to do with natural laws. How this universe runs. That sort of thing. Which is exactly why we are talking about you and what you want to get done, what makes you happy, what brings you peace - all well before we even touch another web page. As I said in the Introduction, this book is for people who have already started messing around on the web and found that they thought they could actually earn some income with it. But you've already been running a blog for awhile, and maybe have a Facebook account and Twitter and some other things. And all the books you find on how to "make money" online are completely worthless to you, unless they help you with what you want to do with your heart and soul. If you don't wake up with bright ideas about what to do today in your life, and you aren't completely abuzz - or even just calmly happy - about getting about whatever you are doing, then you aren't following your own purpose. You're working for someone else and are a wage slave. How do you find your passion?While it may or may not take you some time, it's not that hard to do. But you have to start listening to yourself. Sit down and be quiet for awhile, where you won't be interrupted by the telephone or kids running around the house or annoying neighbors playing their music too loud. Next, just review your activities and concentrate on the ones you actually like to do, not the ones you do for someone else - the things that routinely make you smile, that you look forward to, that bring a little peace to your life, one's that are really satisfying. These type of activities are the ones which really forward what you should be doing with your life. Keep thinking about these things and you'll narrow down to something you can do, some goal you can forward. You might have to go out and do some of these things before you can figure out what it is about thse that you love to do. And if you just start weeding out of your life the things that don't bring you joy, that you can't stand, that are always annoying - and instead concentrate and fill your life with things that routinely cheer you up - you'll start to get an inkling of what it is that really drives you, your passion. And it is uniquely different for every single person. You will find people that you have common interests with, but they won't have exactly the same interests or ideas of how to go about whatever they like to do. So don't expect this. But you need to start working at whatever you really like - and you'll get an inspiration along the line of how you might be able to actually make a living at this. I'm not saying that this will necessarily be easy. It is for some, not for others. Your road is your own.
Until you set your feet on that road, you are going to be a little out of sorts, a little uncomfortable about your life. When you do find your personal "path up the mountain", then all sorts of doors will start opening for you and all sorts of answers will start showing up for your many questions and problems. Goals and Purposes Questionnaire
Here's a short series of questions you can use to help you in that quest:
If I could do anything with my life, what would it be? What is my passion? What is my dream?
If I were living my dream, what would I do with each of the 24 hours I’ve been given in each day?
If I were living my dream, what talents, skills, and abilities would I use to live a full life, and maximize my income potential?
If I were living my dream, how would I use my financial independence to create a dream life for myself and my loved ones?
If I were living my dream, where would I live? What would my home be like? What would my lifestyle be like? What would my friends be like?
If I were living my dream, how would I share all that I have with others?
If I were living my dream, what would my Core Purpose in life be?
If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I do?
Charles Heflin gave this short set of questions to determine your passion by examining your life habits:
To discover your interests and passions, spend some time contemplating the answers to the following...
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When you're not worried about “making money” what do you spend your time doing or thinking about?
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What are the last 5 non-money making related books that you read? -- and why?
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What are the last 5 non-money making related magazines that you read? -- and why?
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Look in the Internet History section of your web browser. What are the last 100 non-money making related websites that you visited? -- and why?
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What non-money making related websites have you bookmarked? -- and why?
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If you had 20 billion dollars and never had to worry about money again, what would you do with your time?
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Look at your desk and around at your office. What non-work related things are there? - and why?
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What do you usually talk about with your friends?
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How did you meet your non-work related friends?
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What social groups (online or offline) do you belong to?
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What kind of non-money making email lists do you subscribe to?
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What would you do on your ideal vacation?
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If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be?
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If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? -- and why?
A Guide to the Thrivelearning System
Links and Resources
Spiritual
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Find your inner peace - Use Release Technique
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Learn how to remain calm under stress - Use Silva Life System
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Thrive financially with your Millionaire Mindset - Learn from T. Harv Eker
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Simply Wake Up and Live! - Dorothea Brande's classic.
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Get a library of proven, workable materials - Spiritual Training Materials
Business
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Do market research for products which can factually earn you online income - Chris Malta's Worldwide Brands
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Master social network marketing - Charles Heflin’s Synnd
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Get a site builder and web host with decades of experience -Ken Evoy's Site Build It!
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Find the simplicities to protecting yourself legally – Dr. Frederick Graves' Jurisdictionary
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Get and stay scam free from here on out - Get Scam Free (book and online course)
Additional Thrive Learning Sites:
Thrive Alliance
Best Education Guide
Business Startup Resources in Wisconsin
Thrive Cafe - Seattle
Organizational and Personal Effectiveness
Thrive Learning Management System
