Planning for your future is actually one of the most important things you should do before you begin developing your idea for earning passive income online. If you don’t like sitting down and creating business plans at the very least you should have a plan for the next 12-24 months and have a clear vision of how you will achieve that plan.

Deciding on what success looks like for you and how your plan will help you feel successful everyday will help to keep you motivated and I have an article called “Take A Look At Yourself And Your Success” that you can read about determining your version of success, but for now let’s get started by thinking about your future vision.

Ask yourself these questions:

What does the end look like for you?

How amazing will your business and life be 5 years from now or perhaps 10?

If you can’t think that far into the future start with 2 years and then work your way back until today. What will have to happen today, right now, so that you can begin your on-line business? Hopefully the first thing you put was, write a plan!

Take the afternoon off (yes; I am recommending you step away from the computer) and spend time deciding on what you want for yourself and more importantly why. Let’s look at that briefly, why are you doing this? If your answer is to make money then you may want to revisit that. Consider taking on a business because you want to help people meet a need, or you are passionate about a topic that you know will help people live life better/easier. Also consider whether it is the money that you want or what the money will provide.

Your motivation behind wanting to work online and earn money online will be a huge factor to your success, which is why planning is so vitally important. Would you step into a different country and not plan where you are staying? Or what you will see? Of course some of you will say “yeah I would!” But for those of us who are not as free spirited, I recommend you plan what you want for yourself and your life so that you say motivated to achieve it.

Once you decide why you are doing it you now need to consider the effect it will have on the rest of your life and those around you. It is important to consider not only what you want, but the effect it will have on your friends and more importantly your family and loved ones. Will it mean time away from them as you develop your new business? Is your partner ready to stand by you when the money isn’t flowing as well as when it is? Will it mean having to work extra hours after working full time in a job for 30 or 40 hours a week?

You need to know what resistance or challenges you may encounter because the impact on you is highly diminished if you know there is a possibility of this issue occurring. See it as risk analysis. All organisations, especially large ones, will plan out what “may happen” when they launch a new product or take on a new venture.
Playing devil’s advocate is an important part of this process. It is not about being negative or thinking “this just won’t work”. It is about remaining proactive by asking “what choices will I need to make if this does not work?” “Who can I turn to in times of need?”

After completing your plan sit down and write out a few contingencies, a few just in case scenarios. Be prepared! Stephen Covey says “begin with the end in mind.”

Once you have an idea of what you want and why, and you have written it all down, create a picture in your minds eye of what your business will look like.

Hear the sounds. Will you be opening a bottle of bubbly because you’ve had your most successful week yet? Or the scream of your loved ones as you tell them you are going on holiday for the first time in years?

What feelings will you feel? Will you feel the satisfaction of giving to your community or to charity because you have the money to do that? Will you feel the determination to do what needs to be done to achieve?
What tastes will you experience? The taste of sea air as you arrive at your holiday destination? The taste of your favorite food from your favorite restaurant, which you are sharing with 15 of your friends! What smells will you smell? The smell of floor polish as you step into your new dream home for the first time that has just been cleaned ready for your arrival.

Make it real, experience everything. Feel the excitement deep within you, and then call on this whenever you need to keep going. Spend time creating a plan for yourself that moves you into action every time you think about it. Create pictures in your mind about the things you will have and do.
I recommend you also spend some time thinking about the kind of person you will become too. Who will you be as a result of this extra income? Will you be generous, compassionate, loving? Well guess what, you don’t need passive income to be those things, you can do them right now!

Who you are “being” in life will determine whether your business is a true success. Will you be loyal, courageous and self-expressed in your desire to reach your goals or will you be pig-headed, difficult, manipulative and controlling? Guess which one will get you further and be more fun!

Resource Box (you have my permission to use this article on your site as long as this line and the following resource box remains intact)
Diane Corriette shares her expertise in internet marketing and personal development to help people avoid the same mistakes that she made. Read her report “What I Would Do Differently In My (Internet Marketing) Life If I Could Do It All Again” at http://www.myinternetmarketingmistakes.com

Last Modified : April 7th, 2008 Filed under : The Lessons Navigate : Previous post / Next post