Work Boxers

Thinking Big

by Paul on May 18th, 2005

Most people I have met wish to become successful in their lifetime. To each one, success has its own connotation. One person may just want to live comfortably, while another is looking for millions of dollars. I have always had big dreams because I know what I am capable of and I am sure many people feel the same way about themselves. Some may consider my goals farfetched, but I consider them stepping stones.

Darren wrote an excellent post on blogging goal and current practices which comes from Jeremy’s wonderful entry on the same subject. Although I am not talking about matching your goals with how much effort you put in, it is wise to keep this in mind.

When starting any kind of business (if you decide to pro blog you should act like it is a business because it is) you have goals. I am sure a lot of designers when going freelance or starting a small design firm set reasonable goals for themselves that they are sure they can achieve. For example the first year goal may be to make $30,000, but what about 5 years down the road? $50,000-$60,000 maybe? Why not $500,000-$600,000?

You should have the same mindset with your online ventures.

Fear of Success

Some of us just fear success. No really. It’s a comfort zone to work on a $2,000 project, but what happens when you get the $20,000 project? Do you choke? Maybe you don’t even attempt to go for it and make up excuses for why you couldn’t handle it. Yet you get mad when you see other designers making more money than you and you feel you are a better designer than them. Step outside of your comfort zone and give it a shot.

Maybe you want to make money with blogs, but don’t feel comfortable managing a group of people. That’s when it becomes decision time. You can turn into a robot ala Darren Rowse or you can step up and manage others to do the work for you.

You start a blog hoping that everyone in the community will come visit it and post wonderful comments. However, do you really want that? Do you really want to have a successful site where sometimes you have to watch every word you say and know that with every entry someone is going to vehemently disagree with you? With popularity comes responsibility and expectations. Some people drown under the expectations while others embrace them and stand above them.

Maybe its your own expectations that you fear. A $400 site carries very little expectations. As the dollar amount rises your expectations of the site rise. At $10,000 maybe your expectations are so great that you fear you can’t meet them. Again embrace the challenge and run with it. Nobody likes to design the same type of websites over and over again. Designers like a challenge. So what should be different about challenging yourself into getting larger projects?

Can’t Go Forward Without Moving

Ever meet someone who wants something, but isn’t willing to go through what it takes to get it? Sort of like the client who wants the world’s greatest, award-winning Flash site, but will only pay you $50 to do it? I wanted a popular blog within the web design community so I took the necessary steps to getting one. Then I thought it would be cool to have a useful resource that everyone could use and have that become popular so I did that as well. Next I decided I wanted to make a popular Geek site. Over this time I have found that you really do get back what you put into it.

If you want something bad enough you have to do what is necessary to get it. If you play it safe don’t expect to get anything spectacular. If you contstantly go after small contracts why should you expect to be recognized by the community (if that is something you want)? If you write useless information in a blog why should you expect it to become popular (if that is something you want)? If you are a freelance designer or a small design firm and you do not have a blog, you should start one. Blogging is marketing. If you have a blog, but neglect it, get back to work on it. Blogging is marketing. I am sure everyone constantly wants business, so you need to constantly keep your face and name out there.

This goes the same for all of you probloggers. If you aren’t working on your site, what are you working on?

Let’s Pretend

If you want to be big, you have to think big. If you can’t do what is necessary to make it, then don’t point the finger at others because you have three pointing right back at you.

Some people would kill to have the success of 37Signals. But why stop at being just a successful web design firm? Why not also try and become a successful author and a successful service provider? Thinking big and going big are two different things that work really well when done together.

Let’s pretend Scrivs and some others were starting a company and they wanted to become successful. They knew that with the talent they had put together and the experience they have in doing what they do, the only thing holding them back from success would be themselves. They each had weaknesses that was balanced out by the others’ strengths. They saw the chance for success and they went for it and got it. That would be pretty cool.

The point of all of this is that you need to go beyond thinking that your site is just a blog or that your company is just another company in another niche. Why not strive to make your blog the resource that everyone goes to? It’s possible if you put your mind to it. I really do get frustrated seeing some people walk away from blogging because it was not cracked up to what they thought it would be. I can give you all the tips and advice in the world, but if you don’t work at it, then it’s worth nothing. Strive for bigger and better things and work towards them and you can expect the success that you planned to achieve before you started your venture.

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POSTED IN: Personal Thoughts