The lazy webmaster (biz)

[_LB_]

I'm bored, finished my work the day so how about another biz thread lol.

Webmasters are lazy... very lazy. I estimate an average full time webmaster day consists of between 2-4 hours actual work. I expect many people want to jump in now and post about how they do 70-80 hour weeks, 120 hour weeks, but I know for a fact that 90% of those claims are utter rubbish whether they trully believe it or not.

Similar to what I wrote in BB recently, only one person can change habitual laziness and task avoidance, and that person is you. Until you decide to take yourself seriously you will continue to stand on the sidelines wishing you were playing the game, watching others enjoy their success ... trying so hard not to resent them for it. You make excuse after excuse and become an expert in looking for the "why I can't" in everything, until you have yourself believing that this industry just isn't for you and you are just unlucky.

Thing is that there is absolutely NO excuse for not being able to make money, in fact good money, and people who claim to be working 50+ hour weeks but aren't making much at all simply aren't working 50+ hour weeks ... they are surfing boards, chatting on icq, 'researching' (surfing for the silver bullet), etc etc.

What image do you have of yourself? Do you see yourself retiring at 30 ... being wealthy in a lovely house and nice car? Take a moment to think about where you want to be in 10 years ... and be honest with yourself ... if you continue as you are now will you ever get there?

Over the last 2 years I have probably had 30-40 people talk to me about how they can't make sales and are working upwards of 80 hour weeks. In all but one case when I asked them what they were doing and for examples of their work they could never give specifics and waffled. It was obvious they had done very little. There was one exception, and if he can change his approach in the way I suggested he will be very very wealthy.

There are now 4 types of people who have read to this point -

1. The person who is being honest with themselves, identifies a lack of productivity and maybe some lazyness, but really doesn't know what to do about it.

2. The person who is lazy, knows they are lazy, but is actually quite happy being lazy. I admire your honesty, and if one day you decide to get working you will probably find it much easier than the next type of person. Truth is if you are happy being broke or earning just enough to get by then all power to you

3. The person who resents this thread for daring to suggest they are lazy, when in reality they have trouble doing their work, spend most of their time avoiding tasks and have become an expert in convincing themselves that they are a hard working webmaster.

4. The person who does do the work, puts in long hours and is pissed off with me suggesting they don't. No offence intended guys


Type 3 webmasters should probably stop reading now. Be honest you aren't going to change, and any suggestions will never be actioned. you have become so good at convincing yourselves your fictional world actually exists that no one is going to break through. Maybe another year of being broke will prompt you to rethink.


For those who want suggestions ....

It takes around 30 days to form a habit. So lets devote a month to it. Keep a calendar and cross the days off as you go. At the end of the month sit down and look at what you did, what you made, and how you feel. I almost guarantee you will enjoy your free time more, you will start to become excited about your business, you will enjoy the routine and will be more plesant to be around. This isn't just a work change this is a lifestyle change.

I have personally done something very similar to this, and somedays it really hurt getting up early on monday after a late night with friends, but that pain is a lesson you need to allow yourself to have.

I have been a bit of a biz thread whore in the last few days, so maybe work some of the suggestions made in those threads into your work week.

1. Get up in the morning, go to bed in the evening. Force yourself into a routine of working 9am-5pm 5 days a week. If you can do it for 30 days you have formed a habit. Don't drink on week nights, and try to get to bed by 11pm. If you have a partner/wife/husband get them to help you establish this routine. If possible go for a 15 min walk in the morning to get some sun and exercise .... and perspective.

2. As soon as 5pm rolls around stop work. Go for a walk, get some fresh air, or do something you enjoy. On the weekends make sure you also do something you enjoy ... don't spend any more than 3-4 hours working on each weekend day, and if possible dont spend any time on the PC. See family, get some sun.

3. When working turn icq off until the last couple of hours each work period. DON'T visit a webmaster board until you have finished the tasks you set out. After you have finished the tasks you planned for that day, then reward yourself with some more plesant work related tasks like chatting on icq, posting on the forums etc.

4. Spend the last half hour of the day evaluating what you have done, and making the list of things to do for the next day. Stick to that list and treat it as your bible.

5. Don't listen to music until the last couple of hours of your work day.

6. If you work at home don't answer your phone during work hours. We screen calls here which can work well too.

7. Educate your family, unemployed friends, children, husband, wife, boyfriend(s), girlfriend(s) .. of your work times. This isn't an easy task .. but if you are going to do yourself justice in this month of adjustment you need to be able to concentrate on your work.

8. If you don't already get an automated stats checking program so the temptation to refresh stats is removed.

9. Work is classified as building or developing. work is not 'researching'. You do your research in your own time. Most of you already know what you want to do and have done the research you need. For webmasters 'research' has become one of the best methods to avoid actually doing work. Its important to research and plan, and if you are still at the stage where you need to I suggest don't start this work schedule yet because you aren't ready for it.

10. Don't skip breakfast. You won't be able to focus.

11. Stick to each task until completed. Try not to jump from task to task. This is actually a big problem for people who drink lots of coffee as many get 'skitter brain'.


After 30 days if you actually did this, please icq me or pm me. I want to hear from you and talk to you ... I want to hear how your work went and I want to see some of the things you did. I also want to hear how you feel both about your business and about yourself.

[Jel]

Very nice post indeed LB

[ScreaM]

Great post.

Originally Posted by _LB_

2. The person who is lazy, knows they are lazy, but is actually quite happy being lazy. I admire your honesty, and if one day you decide to get working you will probably find it much easier than the next type of person. Truth is if you are happy being broke or earning just enough to get by then all power to you

That's me.




P.S. You just hit 6,000 posts.

[_LB_]

Originally Posted by ScreaM

Great post.


That's me.


P.S. You just hit 6,000 posts.

Cool ! 6000 posts.

Do I learn the secret handshake now? Do I get the secret back entry to netpond? Do I get a pair of netpond boxer shorts ??

[Krusty]

I think it's fair to say that you're NOT a post whore LB - although you post a lot sometimes... but I can honestly say you could have divided that massive (and very helpful and informative) post into at LEAST 10 posts

great advice (and guidance) yet again LB !

*closes NP window and goes back to work*

[ScreaM]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Cool ! 6000 posts.

Do I learn the secret handshake now? Do I get the secret back entry to netpond? Do I get a pair of netpond boxer shorts ??

You are getting close to the first page of the member's list (top posters).

[MrNaked69]

_LB_ you are just full of great posts this week.

[pvt.spanky]

Cool. It's the weekend and I haven't been doing my full routine (I only did 3 TGP galleries, 1 MGP, and picposts submits. No freesite today), I was starting to feel guilty, but since you say it's OK... I'm gonna go play some video games

[Carrie]

For #8... UnifiedStats is free, folks. Don't know if there are any other ones out there besides StatsRemote but US does a great job.

Why not listen to music until the last couple of hours? The only way I find that it interrupts me is if I don't already have a playlist made up... then I have to stop every few minutes and pick a new song. If music helps you pump stuff out like it does for me, make up playists. It helps.

[nekrom]

Lot of good points mate. Was about to bop you on the nose next time I see you guys, till I read down to point number 4.

I work structured days (full time online), 10am through 7pm + over time hours, mon-sat, take sundays off or research new projects for a few hours.

Being structured and having your daily "work order" is a way you "CAN" work efficiently 8 or more hours per day. It also stops you from piss farting about, wasting time on baords/icq etc etc. I rarely post outside of BetaBrigade, I'm just far too busy being a worker bee, working to my goals that everyone should have set.

When I hit 30 in 6 years time, I'm outa here. I've got my life/game plan drawn down since I was 18. Get in a groove people, get those goals written up and plastered on your walls/back of toilet door.

-N

[selena]

I nominate this for post of the century.

[Jimsmowen]

Awsome post LB, I am making a daily plan now Time to take control of this shit!!

[ting_tong]

i will be starting this tomorrow...just have to be done with my research job first

I do have a schedule, but as you stated in post 7, family and relatives do have a hard time to understand that work from home, online, actually are working allso, and when you get disturbed, 1-2 hrs. easily are spent before you are back on the roll again.

[MajorTom-Ynot]

Ok, nice read..now back to my afternoon session of Ice Age 2...only 46 nuts so far..

[Globofun]

Great post!

I wish I could retire at 30! (I'm 41....hehehe)

[Paul Markham]

Back in the old days of shooting porn I worked during the week and at weekends shot a porn set or two when I found the girls who would sell. When I went full time what I found was the number of girls did not increase and the magazines usually did not want more of them. so I had to find new avenues to increase revenue.

I did this by going into videos. Suddenly I had the extra work and money I needed.

I think for some they have too blinkered an outlook, they do TGPs or Blogs or AVSs or SEO. Few see that they could be doing a mixture.

No matter how good you are you will earn more by working longer. But always remember that working smarter earns you far more.

But then look at the attitude of a lot of webmasters. Many feel that if the sponsor does not do everything possible for them they will not promote him. They would rather promote a sponsor who does 80% of the work and converts 1:2000 than one who does 40% and converts 1:500.

We sponsors, yes I'm now a sponsor , encourage the lazy.

[Blinky]

I'm so great at 'researching' it's beyond funny. This is a wake up call LB, thanks.

Do you have any tips for someone who cannot make a strict schedule ? I have a full time study load and work (offline job) 15-20 hours a week. I work when I can but it's not very productive. I already know when to close IM's and I have a hundred 'to do' lists.

[paul7]

Great tips but a lil hard to manage them

[Kero]

awesome post dude

[Jimsmowen]

Well today I did alot of these things, turned off all music, forums, IMs.

Got all the work goals I set out for the evening and its only 8:30pm (thats early compared to when I usually finish... 11pm) So now im gonna do more work

And I made myself a checklist for each day for the next 30 days.

Thanks LB