Since I've been online, I've seen some amazing changes take place on the Web. Perhaps the biggest though is how easy it's all become. Building a website used to be a chore that took months of planning, preparation and coding. By the time you'd finished putting it all together, the programming language was out of date, the design was old fashioned and it was time to start again.
These days, you can put up a website without knowing a single HTML tag. And with sites like Blogger, pre-designed website templates and content management systems, you can do it all in minutes.
Even the money-making is simple. Filling in the forms for AdSense will take you about five minutes more, and while you will have to wait a day or two to be confirmed that just gives you time to play with your new site and add some content.
Within a day of deciding to be a website publisher, you could have your first ad click.
But you're not there yet. The first steps might be the easiest but the road is long. If you're hoping that your online business will earn enough to make a difference in your life, you've still got a lot of heavy lifting to do.
You have to create a lot of content. You have to add pages to capture more ad clicks. And you have to build up traffic. That always takes time. It's like building a reputation. No one ever starts out in business with a name. They build their name gradually by delivering good service -- and by doing it again and again and again.
There's no getting around that. Many of the most tedious obstacles that used to block people from realizing their Internet business dreams have been removed. But there are some things that will always be true in any business environment: to succeed, you have to be prepared to work hard and think long term.
That's what divides the dreamers from the achievers. Now, which are you?
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
October 26, 2009 10:05 AM
I'm going to have to call false dichotomy on you, Joel. Achievement without aspiration is something you do because you've got no choice -- dreaming it and then doing it are two sides of the same coin if you're talking about going above and beyond.
Without dreams, the achievers would not know what to seek.
Yours,
CBB
October 26, 2009 10:38 PM
I would also have to disagree with Joel. The truth is, you have to be a Dreamer AND Achiever. In order for the achiever to achieve something, lets say.. "success," he has to dream it. Likewise, for a Dreamer to achieve "success," he has to achieve it. It is not.. Dream or Achiever, but rather, a Dreamer AND Achiever.
Honestly I would have to say I'm a Dreamer. I tend to get excited over a concept, or idea rather quickly. But, a lot of times it seems almost like a fantasy. Something not realistic achievable. Except when I think about my own thoughts, its only unachievable because I say it's unachievable, yet it continues. This is frustrating! :)
October 27, 2009 07:46 AM
I think some people may have mis-read or misinterpreted Joel's post... If you have attended his webinars, or have viewed the free session of the Elevate Blueprint (http://www.elevateblueprint.com) one of his 7 Keys to Online Success is in fact "dream."
The key point in Joel's blog post isn't that you shouldn't dream, but that dreaming isn't enough by itself. You have to actually DO something.
It is easy to buy a product, or buy an eBook and then think it didn't work for you, or it was a bunch of bull, if you never even TRY to do something.
Me, I had a dream to work in Hollywood. I took measurable steps to accomplish that dream. And I worked on such shows as Babylon 5, Drew Carey, Friends, and was a writer on the TV show Pictionary. Even after moving to Iowa I worked on the TV show The Apprentice. But I never could have done those things without taking ACTION steps to fulfill those dreams.
So yes, dreaming is important. But dreaming without doing will get you nowhere.
Troy
November 11, 2009 08:17 AM
Dreams are good. Dreams make us feel better. Dreams give us hope and dedication. However, dreams without the necessary actions to realize them, will always stay as dreams.
November 12, 2009 01:38 PM
Great article Joel. I would like to think I am both a dreamer and achiever. I am creative so I am a dreamer. I achieve when I actually take action from what I dream about doing. The key is action taken to be both a dreamer and an achiever. Action is what separates dreamers from achievers.
November 18, 2009 02:51 PM
At last an article that's realistic, unlike a lot of books and articles out there which claim that everyone can become an instant internet milionaire.
You're right: it takes time and a LOT of patience to build a web audience.
I would add that you really need to enjoy what you're doing, otherwise you won't last very long. In the beginning, you need to have fun and do it for yourself first, and not care too much if the results aren't as expected.
I'm an achiever and a dreamer. The dream is the goal, the achievement is the way to get there.
Thank you for the article. I found it quite encouraging.