Web Worker Daily

“Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” – Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler”

Our impulse is usually to try to do everything. Opportunities present themselves, and we think, “If I turn this away, I may not get another shot. What if there’s nothing else coming down the pike?” Read the rest of this entry »

In their book “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing,” Al Ries and Jack Trout talk about the “Law of the Category,” which is that “if you can’t be the first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.” I’m coming to understand the importance of this concept, especially when thinking about individuality. Read the rest of this entry »

Building a business is no easy feat, but certain traits can help you on the path to success.

1. Be goal-oriented, accountable and disciplined. Knowing where you’re going is the first step to achieving your dreams, and a clear vision and plan will help you reach them. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, I sat down with pen and paper and tried to make a decision about the projects I was going to be working on over the coming months. I wrote down those projects that were currently under way, as well as those I was most interested in pursuing.

The only problem was, by taking on the new projects, I was effectively doubling my workload, and I was barely keeping up with what was already on my plate. Something had to give.

For several hours, I tried to force a square peg into a round hole. I tried changing my perspective, thinking of it in different ways, rearranging my schedule over and over — all to no avail. It just wasn’t going to fit. I finally had to accept a few simple truths. Read the rest of this entry »

We have a tendency to impose restrictions on our abilities and potential by creating glass ceilings for ourselves. It starts with arbitrary boundaries.

In recent months, I’d been working toward a certain fixed, arbitrary goal, when it came to my business and my income. Read the rest of this entry »

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Confucius

The bottom line for every business owner is this. If you can’t keep customers and clients, your business will fail.

Ironically, we tend to forget this fact by getting caught up in the “busy-ness” of running a business. We have to-do lists that are a mile long and, for a lot of us, don’t include real steps to move us any closer to securing new business on a regular basis. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday, I wrote about the importance of routine for success in life and business. I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic lately, which made me wonder how to go about overcoming bad habits and routines to make way for new ones.

Just because we don’t establish good routines doesn’t mean that habits don’t inevitably take over. They do. For most of us, I’ll bet, whether we care to admit it or not, we do the same things day after day, consciously or not. We wake up at certain times, follow certain rituals, and inch our way into the flow of the work day. Read the rest of this entry »

My lack of routine in recent weeks has made it abundantly clear how important routine can be for productivity, for creativity, and for creating a life by design rather than by default. The key, though, is making sure to develop a unique routine deliberately, with intent and purpose.

Successful musicians, athletes, writers and entrepreneurs all have one thing in common: They practice their craft, and then they practice some more. They dedicate time for practice by creating structure in their daily lives. By establishing their own unique routines, they ensure progress is made in the most important areas of their lives on a regular basis. Success is about consistency, and there’s no better way to establish consistency than through daily routine and habit.

I’m still trying to figure out a good routine for me, but I’m fairly confident it will follow a few basic principles. Read the rest of this entry »