eHow Experiment 06: Analyzing Keywords and Tracking Results

As many of you already know, 8 days ago I posted my first Goals and Achievement post in a long while, where I shared my goals of December. I wasn’t able to work much on my goals for the past week, since I’ve been working on launching my eBook and setting up a newsletter for Cash Campfire.

However, the 3 goals I have set for eHow (in case you’re too lazy to read the actual post) are…

• Increase my monthly income by $100
• Edit 15 articles
• Rank on the first page of Google with 10 out of 113 articles

Now, this might seem like a lot of work, since I have other tasks I also plan to complete, but I believe these goals are obtainable if I really push myself. To achieve these goals, it will require a lot of keyword analyzing and backlinking (so tons of writing on my end) to increase search engine rankings.

I’m not too worried about the editing, since eHow articles are generally short (400-500 words), and I’m so used to writing 1,000 or more word blog posts here on Cash Campfire and other content sites. (more…)

New Challenges, Loads of Fun, and a New Beginning

OK, I know. I’m crazy. But I have a serious weakness…

Photo by Brian Snelson (flickr)

When someone announces a challenge, I can’t refuse.

Despite the fact that I now have over 7 challenges going on and I’m generally incredibly lazy (not a good combination), I can’t deny the fact that the thought of competing in 7 different challenges is exciting – no, thrilling. And, hell, this might be the ticket I need to let go of my procrastination habits!

After all, knowing my incredible weakness, why would fate lead me to see these blood-tingling, electrifying, and all-so-too-good-to-resist challenges in the first place?

Oh, I forgot. Fate is often cruel; but I’ll lament later. Right now, fate is my new best friend. For right now, I’m ready to take action!

But, of course, I’m only making up excuses. The real problem lies with me taking in more than I can chew.

Yes, all this excitement has dwindled me down into a gibbering maniac who doesn’t make any sense. Let’s just look at exactly what I’m dealing with… (more…)

A Writer’s Reflection: My Life as a Writer Revealed

What is your writing routine?

That was a question I asked one October evening while sitting at my desk contemplating about my life’s direction when it came to living the life of an entrepreneur/writer.

Photo by S. Diddy (flickr)

I really had no clear path to get me to where I wanted to go, and no real reason for writing besides the fact that I loved it and I wanted to increase exposure – hopefully translating into more income later on down the road. I simply wrote blindly, woke up late, procrastinated, and set goals I didn’t really want to achieve (though I thought I did at the time) that ended up leading me down a whole new road than the one I wanted to take.

Over the course of several months, I dug deeper and deeper toward my inner self, really analyzing my career direction and what I really wanted with my life and future in general. I knew that I wanted to establish a career as a blogging entrepreneur. But I had so many side projects that I didn’t know what to do with. (more…)

Free eBook – Making the First Leap Into a World of Writing

Are You Ready to Make the Leap?

Making the First Leap Into a World of Writing is devoted to aspiring and struggling writers who are both hesitant about getting started as a freelance writer and need guidance and a bit of motivation to propel them forward.

Making the First Leap Into a World of Writing (available for free) is ideal for writers who are…

• Just starting out and need a gentle push to get started
• Hesitant about diving in and starting a life freelance writing
• Struggling to create a successful writing career and need a boost of confidence to keep going
• Bewildered, with tons of obstacles slowing down their progress

Do You Have What It Takes?

Many people enter the world of freelance writing only to find that the freelance life wasn’t what they wanted or it wasn’t what they were expecting. Others just aren’t given a full glimpse of where they would be headed if they ever did adopt a full-time writing career.

Well, now the secrets are unleashed.

With this free guide, you’ll discover…

• The ins and outs of freelance writing – Why even start a writing career in the first place?
• What makes a freelance writer successful – Why do some writers fail and others succeed?
• What to do if you have no prior writing experience – Can you still be successful if you have no experience?

Get a Sneak Peek into the eBook Jump Start Your Freelance Writing Career

Since Jump Start Your Freelance Writing Career came out, I’ve been getting lots of inquiries. So I compiled a mini version of chapter 2, complete with assignments, scenarios, and information-rich content – what you now know as Making the First Leap Into a World of Writing. Best of all, it’s 100% free and yours for the taking! (more…)

Jump Start Your Writing Career: Design Your Future and Control Your Lifestyle

You’re working long hours and finally come home late after a stressful night of overtime. Your shoulders are stooped, spine ready to break. Your vision is hazy, and all you can think about is how good the pillow on your bed will feel once you sink down into it.

But you can’t give in to the mindless agony of your body yet – not with all the work you have left to do.

Now you must set aside time for your side business. For if you don’t, your meager income threatens to take away your house and everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve thus far.

As you sit your aching bum into your desk chair and rest your complaining leg muscles, one simple phrase repeats itself over and over in the dark recesses of your mind…

This isn’t the life I want to live.

• You want to live your life doing what you love, enjoying the time you have, cherishing every moment, and awaiting the future with eager excitement.
• You want to free yourself from the tight bonds of your corporate office and frolic in a life you’ve built and have control over, no more fearing that you’ll suddenly get laid off.
• You want to build a steady income that only continues to grow, no longer depending on your boss to give you a pay raise whenever you want to increase your salary.

Well, I’m here to tell you that your dreams are not impossible. (more…)

Are You Ready to Take Your Next Risk?

Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.

- Frederick B. Wilcox

What’s the point of living if you’re afraid to take risks?

Photo by Kevin Dooley (flickr)

I was browsing Marcus Sheridan’s blog The Sales Lion the other day when I came across this motivating post: Boldness: Your Key to Business and Personal Success. In the post, Marcus weaves a story of when he was in his 20s and got the urge to share with the world the marketing strategies working for him. He contemplated speaking at the National Pool and Spa Show (he sells pools), until he finally decided to make it a reality.

So, he walked right into that office where the woman was sitting bored at the desk, and, when asked, “How can I help you,” tells the woman (with a big grin) that he is “the best speaker you’ve never had at this show.”

When I first heard the story, I was shocked by Marcus’s forthrightness, and then that shock quickly turned to awe. It’s not every day that you see an optimistic (and otherwise invisible) soul push through the crowd and force everyone’s attention on him. In fact, such a thought makes me somewhat cower in my seat (never did like public speaking)… But Marcus did it. Because of his confidence, determination, and ability to stand out, he got the position and even today continues to speak at the National Pool and Spa Show on occasion. (more…)

Goals and Achievements – December 2010

Hey everyone! As you know, I’ve been pretty busy for the past few months – mainly working on my eBook and introducing myself to new challenges (the most recent one was the Niche Site Duel).

But, even though my workload may have gotten a bit crazier than usual, I really wouldn’t have the motivation to work as hard as I am if it wasn’t for your growing and continuous support – so thank you!

Because you’ve all been so supportive, I want to give something more back. Namely, I want to share with you my goals and aspirations month after month – then describe my achievements, what areas in my career need work, and where I’ve failed or succeeded along my entrepreneur journey. My hope is that, by following my progress, you can be inspired (and motivated!) to make your own progress as well. Sharing my goals here will also help me commit myself to them and encourage me to push myself to achieve more.

Before moving on though, I just want to say that most of the goals you’ll see will be long-term goals. So I probably won’t see major results until several months down the road. Also, since I tend to easily lose motivation if things get too repetitive or dull, I have a lot of ongoing challenges going on.

To some people, working on so many projects at once is a big mistake and a foolish thing to do. I’ve found that I’m much more likely to stick with something and keep working towards my goals if I’m faced with change however – the reason for the variety of ongoing challenges. If I ever tire from a project, I can just continue working on one of my other projects. Results may come slower, but I’d much rather have slow results than no results at all. Everyone works differently. I’ve found that constant change keeps things exciting for me. This is just the kind of person I am.

Without further ado, I’ll get right to my goals. Once the month is over, I’ll talk about what I’ve achieved for the month of December and then describe my January goals. I hope you enjoy the new Goals and Achievements series! (more…)

5 Ways Clutter and Mess Affect Your Concentration

This is a guest post by James Adams.

Photo by Blake Patterson (flickr)

Working in a messy, disorganised room can be distracting. It is difficult to find the papers and materials that you need, while it is nearly impossible to find a clean area in which to work. Clutter and disorganisation generally lead to confusion and low productivity. Many find it tough to concentrate when there are piles of paper, trash, or untidy areas within their lines of vision. This is why it is important to cut the clutter in order to improve one’s ability to complete important tasks in a timely manner. (more…)