Instant overnight success exists but it exists in the same way winning the Powerball jackpot exists. Yes, there are people that get “overnight success” just as there are people who it the jackpot, but guess what? Those people aren’t me and you. The only path forward for us is a long climb to the top of success mountain.
It’s A Long Climb To The Top Of Success Mountain
The problem all of us face on this climb is that 1.) we do it alone 2.) it feels like we aren’t making progress 3.) we can’t see the top.
1. We Climb Alone
I know we can work in teams and encourage each other. There are people in our lives that are supportive. But don’t fool yourself–your climb to the top of success mountain will be done alone.
Only one person can man the computer for typing blog posts. The writing sessions are often done in solitary moments in the morning. Each one of us is the driving force of climbing up the mountain. The work is done alone.
I have a vision of creating a blogging club of some sort to motivate, challenge, and encourage each other to achieve success. I don’t know exactly what it will look like yet, and I certainly don’t have the time to put anything together right now. But I think that is going to be an important piece of the puzzle in the future, even so, when it gets down to doing the work, it’s still a climb alone.
2. It Feels Like No Progress Is Made
On top of going alone, it often feels like we are climbing on a treadmill and are going nowhere. We work, work, work. Stick to a rigorous blogging schedule. Post 2, 4, sometimes 5 times a week…and it feels like no progress is being made.
It is one of the most DISHEARTENING feelings in the world. Oh, trust me. Everybody comes to blogging with big dreams (and that’s good!). And we say things like “I’m gonna do whatever it takes!” (and that’s good too!). But the grind is real, and it’s long, and you will 100% question if any progress is being made.
I’ll let tell you a secret of success for most things in life: progress is not a linear line that steadily and predictably climbs upward. Nope. Progress in life is made on the top of very long, seemingly endless plateaus followed by a sudden, often unexpected BREAKTHROUGH. Then the frustrating thing is you can never maintain the peak point of the breakthrough, you always fall a bit from the breakthrough and then–you guessed it–there is another, very long plateaus. That’s just how it is.
Accept it and recognize it when you are on a plateaus because that’s where the real progress is made, it just doesn’t feel like it and the statistics don’t show it. And, as I’ve written about many times, there are also valleys of despair that all of us will have to blog through. That’s when it is most important to hang onto your VISION for your blog.
3. It’s Hard To Keep Blogging When You Can’t See The Top Of Success Mountain
There’s certain long climbs many of us have taken, such as getting a college degree. It’s a long climb, but you know if you put in even a mediocre amount of work you’ll get to the top of college mountain after 4 years of climbing.
There are no guarantees for blogging. Ahead of us is always shrouded in clouds. The top could be nearly in front of us or it could be years away. Nobody knows. There is no guaranteed timeline to success, also being mediocre won’t get you to the top like it would in college. Climbing to the top of success mountain on the blogging range requires hard work and hard work only.
In general, I’d put reaching the “Success Zone” of Success Mountain to take between 3 – 5 years of consistent, sustained, hard work. But that’s just an estimate. And most of us look at the “3” instead of the “5.” It might take 6 or 7 or 8 years.
If it took me 10 years to reach the top of Success Mountain in blogging it would still be worth it! What’s the alternative? Me continuing to work a job that gives me a crummy paycheck that barely pays my bills! And then being able to go full-time blogging, writing words, to make a living? That sounds pretty good to me! It’s all about maintaining your VISION, baby!
Reaching The Top Of Success Mountain In Blogging Is Worth The Struggle!
Envision yourself planting your flag on the top of Success Mountain! It is a reality that is in your future if your remember that reaching the top requires optimism and sacrifice. Think about how great your life will be! You’ll make a good living by typing words into a computer! You’ll be able to go wherever you wish with those you love as long as there is an internet connection!
Maybe you’ll bum around the Florida Keys in the off-season when rentals are cheap. Maybe you’ll spend the summer in Alaska. Maybe you’ll do a slow road trip across the good ol’ USA. Maybe you’ll go to the islands in the Caribbean and be a Jimmy Buffet beach bum. Maybe Thailand. Maybe Belize. Maybe go on a quest to travel to every country in the world. All of that will be available to you because you won’t be tethered down to a job that barely pays you enough to get by. You’ll be free, baby! And that will be worth ever day of the arduous climb, don’t you think?
In the meantime, that reminded me: I gotta get climbing because I am on my way to the top of Success Mountain. I hope to see you there! I’ll give you a high-five when I see you. All you gotta do is stick to the plan, make the necessary adjustments when needed, and work, work, work. It’s gonna take a lot of work. Oh yeah, it’s also gonna take a lot of work. So you better get used to working. Because it’s going to take a lot of work. But it will be worth it, friend.
Until then, blog on!