Still Here: One Key To Online Success Is Realizing Potential

When Ari Herzog mentioned on his blog that he was accepting guest posts, I typed this up right away. It was the first thing that came to mind. Ari’s commenters seem to like it, and I hope you do too. I intended it to promote my simple living blog So Much More Life.

I don’t know Ari very well, but I know we have something in common: We’re still here.

No matter whether your reason for participating online is to make money from website ads, promote your products and services, satisfy your own need for expression or simply keep your name in front of people who could be useful one day, one of the keys to success online is establishing a presence and nurturing it.

That means staying with the blog you start, showing up on social media when you have something to say and taking steps every day to expand the size, reach and value of your message and online properties.

A Few Steps From Massive Success

For most of my life, I’ve been only a few steps removed from massive success. My first true love was freelance journalism, and I quickly reached the top of my niche, but I didn’t really capitalize on what I achieved.

Then, I tried working in an office for a couple of years, and I was able to jump from a dead-end department to a position working with a well-respected departmental director. But I quit because I didn’t think office work was for me.

I first placed websites online to promote myself and my services so many years ago that they were designed in Microsoft FrontPage. WordPress didn’t exist then, and neither did blogging. Those sites had Google Adsense ads on them, and the ads made a little money. Why didn’t I see then that by expanding my online presence and the reach of my message, I could increase my income too? I was only a few steps from realizing some potential then.

Are you only a few steps from realizing your built-in potential for massive success?

Taking A Few Steps

I’ve been blogging seriously at So Much More Life since December 2009, and people come there every day to read about simple, deliberate living. I’m not exactly a minimalist, but I explore the minimalist lifestyle from both an outsider and an insider point of view. People seem to like what I write.

What’s even better, people click on the ads there, and I make a little money. A couple of people have even been impressed enough with my writing at So Much More Life that they now pay me to write their blog posts for them.

Even better than that, my modest success with my blog has encouraged me to place other websites online aimed specifically at making money, and they’re starting to bring in a little cash too.

To put things more simply, I’m starting to realize some of my potential rather than letting it build up and then escape as I have all my life. Still better than all of that, I like the way my life is going now. I’m not a massive success, but I’m not turning my back on good opportunities anymore either.

But This Is Really About You

This post tells a little about my story. It says something about how I’m not missing as many opportunities as I once did, and it tells how I’m benefiting from staying put, showing up and taking the next step.

You might benefit more from a post about you, however. What should you do? What steps should you take?

I think the answer is simple: Do the work that’s in front of you today, and take every opportunity to take steps that move you toward your goals. Soon, you’ll be making more money, increasing your presence and expanding your reach.

You may soon find that you’re a massive success.

Of course, all of this talk about massive success is a bit grandiose considering I’m nowhere near where I’d like to be regarding income or personal potential.

Still, I’m closer than I was yesterday. Are you?

Gip Plaster blogs at So Much More Life about simple, minimalist living. More importantly, he’s taking steps every day to realize his potential — something he hasn’t always done. Visit his blog to see what he’s talking about this week, then consider hiring him for your next writing project. If you reach out to him, he’ll take the next step.

Image: Pixabay