How many times have you thought about starting your own online business? How often are you commuting to or from work and thinking about how much you’d love to work from home?

From the moment I got my first computer, I dreamed of making money online and changing my work commute from 30 miles to walking downstairs. But it took 20 years to make that dream a reality–why? I finally realized that it was a lack of motivation caused by fear.

That realization came after discovering some self-motivation techniques that really resonated with me and my situation. But one in particular became a huge benefit for me in terms of getting me to take action. This was the 5-Second Rule by inspirational speaker, Mel Robbins, and I’ll share a video below that will help you understand this technique.

My Struggle After Being Scammed

It took me about 5 years from the time I got my first computer before I took action to start an online business. I attended a seminar that taught you how to start a website and sell products online. By the time it was done, I had spent $1,999 and was sure that I could make a full time income online within just a few short months.

Of course, every week after that I was getting phone calls and emails letting me know that success wasAn empty wallet just around the corner if I just bought this program and that add on, and so on and so on. Two years later I had spent a lot of time working on my business, made a little bit of money, but had spent over $15,000!!

I also was smarter by then and realized that I had let myself get taken in by a program that had a lot of flash and promises, but was really just a way to keep upselling me more and more worthless programs. It’s amazing what you will believe when someone is telling you everything you really want to hear!

Unfortunately, the hit to our pocketbook was accompanied by a huge hit to my confidence, and I stopped working on my business. To make things even worse, I felt I had totally let my husband down when he had supported me making these big investments.

But the dream of making money from home never went away, and I knew how much it would benefit our family if I could make it a success. Several years later, three things happened together that changed everything.

Do Good Things Come In 3’s? I’m A Believer!

I was working as the Hotel & Banquet Manager at our local casino, but the job was not working out well for our family life at the time. The stress and long hours were taking a toll, and my husband and I rarely saw each other due to our schedules conflicting. The strain was taking both of us to the breaking point.

Then the first wonderful thing happened! I stumbled upon a video called The Secret to Self-Motivation by Mel Robbins. Now I’ve never been a big one to have motivational sayings on my walls or to listen to motivational tapes. But something made me click on that video and listen to what she had to say.

She told her story of the personal and financial problems that she faced and how everything overwhelmed her into backing away from taking any action to help her circumstances. I really identified with her struggle and realized that I was doing the same thing.

She talked about what she calls her 5-Second Rule–and no, it has nothing to do with how long dropped food is good on the floor! Here’s how it works:Countdown

Whenever you are faced with a situation where you need to take action, your brain knows what it should do, but within about 5 seconds it will always try to convince you to do whatever action is easier or protects you from getting hurt. Instead, Mel tells you to countdown 5..4..3..2..1 and then immediately do the action you know you should do.

By doing this, you will stop your brain before it tries to protect you and talk you out of doing it. Essentially, you’re breaking the habit loops that have been holding you back from taking an action that you want to do, but it’s out of your comfort zone to do it.

So I decided that I’d try this technique for a week and see if it would work for me. To my surprise, whenever I consciously did the countdown and took action, it actually worked! I wasn’t in my own head so much and started doing instead of just thinking!

Then the second great thing happened!

I was browsing the internet looking for a homemade soap recipe (love homemade soap!), and I saw an article asking the question–Can you make money selling homemade soap online?

The article detailed the process of marketing and selling soap, as well as the amount of money you can realistically make. But what caught my attention was that the author suggested a better way to make money online–start a blog about making homemade soap and make money by monetizing the site!Blogging

He outlined the program he used to start his blog and explained that you could join free and see what it offered without even putting a credit card down. It was very different from all the other money making platforms I was finding, and I wanted to know more about it.

Without even thinking, I counted 5..4..3..2..1 and signed up for their free membership! The program was Wealthy Affiliate, and I spent the next few days looking it over, creating my first website, and taking lessons. I got more information in those few days with their free membership than I ever did spending $15,000 before!

The only other program Wealthy Affiliate offers is a premium membership for $49 a month, there were no other upsells. After a week I knew that this was legitimate and wanted to start an online business again. But I was frustrated because I knew I wouldn’t have the time to devote to it.

That’s when I firmly became a believer that good things come in 3’s!

The Third Piece Of The Puzzle

3 puzzle piecesWithin a couple of days a friend of mine, who worked as a rural carrier for the post office, called to say that her sub had quit, and they had an opening. This was a part-time job, but paid well, and she knew I was wanted to get out of the grueling 60-70 hour work weeks at the casino.

This was exactly what I was looking for–a job with a decent salary and time to pursue my dream of making money online! I grabbed the opportunity and am so glad I did.

Without the self motivating techniques I learned to give me more confidence, I doubt I would have taken the chance that changed the course of my career. I currently have multiple websites, retired early, and have a passive stream of income in retirement!

The 5-Second Rule Video

Here is a video with Mel Robbins who explains her 5-Second Rule. If you’re stuck in a spot where you’re overwhelmed and having trouble taking actions to improve your life, this video is for you!

 

What self-motivating techniques do you use? Are there any motivational speakers or videos that inspire you? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

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