But then there’s that long grueling phase in the middle. The work it takes to get from point A to point B. It seems like a million little tasks that need to be done for every single business or marketing idea you want to implement.

That’s where I get bogged down. That’s where we ALL get bogged down.

You work at it day in and day out, week after week. Sometimes investing years to reach your target, even. It’s easy to lose sight of the end goal and get sucked into mindless work – or mindless management of a million outsourced tasks…

Obviously the goal is to get from start to profit in the shortest time possible. It takes focus, self-discipline, a lot of hours – or a lot outsourcing if you’re willing to invest some cash.

With an online business, things move fast. Trends and new strategies require evaluation and change. Not to mention the fact that constant business growth requires close management. So even after you reach the profit stage, you’ll still go back to the drawing board and find yourself in a work phase again now and then.

That’s exactly how the last year was for me.

I’d reached many of my lifestyle & financial goals along the way, but it was time for me to buckle down and restructure my business model. Set and reach some new financial goals. I also decided to launch several new websites.

So I went from working 10-20 hours a week with a lot of free time & flexibility… back to working full-time on my business. As usual, the idea phase was fun! Then came the work, and the million little details.

I just came out on the other side of it all. I still have my hands in a lot of pie, mind you. I don’t think I’d be happy otherwise -lol. But at the moment I am enjoying that deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment – and it feels great!

A year ago, I was overwhelmed and frustrated. My business was not running as smoothly as it should. I was working more hours than I preferred. I owed more in taxes than I used to make in a year. And I was feeling a lot less personal fulfillment from my work. A far cry from my “work less, make more” formula, and the flexible laid back lifestyle I’d been used to for years before.

I worked hard to change all of that. That’s a confession. I should have worked smarter, than harder. But hey – I got it done.

I’m betting you can relate to all of this. If I had to guess, I’d say you’ve been putting in a lot of brainpower and long hours with your online business.

I just wanted to take a moment today and encourage you. It pays off.

Keep your eye on the target – whatever your personal goals are, or whatever you’re working on & toward at the moment. And remember to pass everything that comes your way through this one simple filter:

“does this take me closer to my goal, or does it distract me from it?”

Work smart when you can, and work hard otherwise.

It’s so worth it!

Best,

p.s. The option to join my Private Brainstorming Group ends tonight (3/31) at Midnight eastern. If you’d like help with your online business, and your current goals, join us! It’s an awesome community of action-takers.

You can find out more about it, and hear from current members, in this recent post: 7 Things I’ve Learned In The Last 7 Years

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Original post by Lynn Terry and software by Elliott Back