Every blogger has his ultimate goal, whatever that may be. The goal is usually something big and will takes quite a bit of time to achieve. Let’s say the goal is to have your blog make enough money to quit your job and when that is achieved you plan to reward yourself with a new car or a month long vacation or whatever it is that you really want.
You put everything you got on achieving that goal. Time passes, frustration sets in because you’re no closer today than you were six months ago. When this venture started, it was fun. Now it seems like a chore. What went wrong? While it’s great to keep the end goal in mind, you have to remember to stop and smell the roses along the way. It’s not the destination that is important, it’s the journey.
Here’s To The Journey
One of the ways I keep things fun along my journey to world domination is to remember that success is cumulative and every success, no matter how small, should be celebrated. What I like to do is have a bunch of mini goals that accumulate up to the final goal. I don’t just celebrate at the final goal. Instead I celebrate with the achievement of each mini goal. This keeps thing fun and keeps me motivated to keep moving forward.
For a new blogger wanting to quit his job, a set of progressive goals may look something like this.
- Register a domain name
- Set up WordPress
- Make two to three posts per week
- Get 100 RSS readers
- Get approved by an ad network
- Make first $100
- Insert about 50 more mini goals here
- Quit job
Now, you may think that registering a domain name or setting up WordPress isn’t much of a goal but for some, it is an achievement that should be rewarded. The point is to reward yourself with the achievement of each mini goal. The reward should be proportional to the goal – you shouldn’t reward yourself with new car for getting approved by an ad network. For example, when you make your first $100, you might take the family out for a pizza night. When you make your first $1,000, go on a fine dining night. My rewards usually involve my family because they’re on this journey with me.
As the goal gets bigger, so does the reward. Because the rewards are getting bigger and because the next goal seems a lot more achievable then the final goal, you are far more motivated to keep building. Doing it this way is a lot more fun than just trying to reach the end.
Remember, it’s not the final destination that is important, it’s the journey. Enjoy the journey and reward yourself along the way. Now I just need to negotiated with Sarah about that ZR1 reward.