I walked into the shop and there they were. Lining up. Handing over the coupon.
Their expectant faces were hopeful. Maybe this was the moment. Dream realized. Most were sure this was “the” day.
But they all left disappointed. Back to reality.
The chances for success were low. A professional betting man wouldn’t bother paying the price. Despite that they keep hoping for that pay day when their numbers came up.
Winning the lottery is “that” big dream for many.
That quick fix. A solution to their financial desperation. But it rarely is.
The long game
According to Bill Gates “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
Playing the long game is a trait that many can’t sustain. But it is the secret to success.
Having the patience to hang in there and keep strapping yourself in and doing the work. Winning at business and life requires patience. That overnight success is rare. Normally it is decades in the making.
Building life transforming habits grow from patient perseverance.
Patience is boring
Success is a game of patience and whether you are a digital marketer, professional or entrepreneur there are some key activities that are worth investing in.
But they take time.
Social media offered a seeming magical solution to our marketing problems and it sometimes can. But the free lunch is turning into a mandatory paid strategy.
The quick fix of instant traffic can be intoxicating but you need money for that. And many small businesses don’t have that spare cash floating around.
But earning traffic, leads and sales can be done. Winning at business is not a lottery. Designing and building a life worth living and celebrating is not found in a coupon.
The secret to success isn’t a quick fix.
It requires patience. There is no other way. It is essential and often boring.
Here are some skills that you need to earn and persevere with to succeed in a digital world.
Earning authority on search engines
Google doesn’t give your organic search traffic for free.
It comes after months and years of creating great content and making sure it gets discovered. Playing the long game in SEO is essential.
Build a following on social networks
Growing you networks and tribes on social media takes time.
It means you have to engage in continuous marketing. The social networks don’t tolerate silence. Grinding out a big loyal tribe is years in the making.
Growing your email list
An email list isn’t as sexy as SnapChat but it is still one of the best ways to turn your passion into profit.
It means taking the time and the perseverance to learn how to convert traffic and attention into an email list. It means working out how optimise landing pages, create premium content like ebooks, videos and podcasts.
And……. keep going.
Developing your writing expertise
Learning the art of writing is something that many of us can do but not many of us are prepared to pay the price. Steven King still invests in writing 1,000 words a day, 7 days a week.
The investment means reading books on writing, just reading (a lot) and exercising at the keyboard.
Nurturing your communication competence
Some people make standing on stage look easy.
But I can guarantee you that almost all of them have hired multiple coaches, practised often and long and spoken for free until they could command a fee. It is not just bullet points on a PowerPoint.
It is many moving parts and skills.
The skills required include movement, breathing, cadence and storytelling.
Earning entrepreneurial skills
Building a business is for most a journey of ecstasy, graft and pain.
Often is means making mistakes that don’t kill you and just plain hanging in there. Of going to the office or sitting down and doing the many ordinary things that lead to extraordinary.
It means paying the patience price.
Pain is underestimated
Not many of us learn or grow from comfort.
I don’t. My major transformations, growth and successes have come from being in a sea of pain. Many of us need to be taken out of their comfort zones to make the necessary changes in our lives.
Growth can come from within or the opportunity is sometimes is forced on us. Sure…..wallow in the torment for a while. We are human. But apply the agony to drive you forward to life changing action.
It’s our attitude to pain that is key to success.
Success often comes from understanding that “pain is just todays investment in future success”.