There are a lot of people that want to get into affiliate marketing but something else is holding them back - their day job.
Having a job can be a drag with all the commuting and such but it's not like you can bear to lose the main source of income that you have. As much as you want to pursue something that you truly love doing, there are certain aspects that get in the way. One would be time.
Let me talk from experience. I'll tell you all about what I did to become an affiliate marketer while working 3 jobs.
Yes, I did have 3 jobs. I was a human resource manager during the day, a call center agent at night, and a weekend waiter. I worked 7 days a week. So before you complain about your 9-5, at least you get to have sufficient sleep on a daily basis.
Basically, the easiest way to get into affiliate marketing would be to start a blog. It doesn't have to about anything fancy or smart. Just talk about the things you'd usually talk about, things that you're interested in.
My blog started out as an online journal. I've got to tell you. I really didn't expect my blog to be where it is now.
The great thing about blogging is that it is a sure way for you to juggle your day job while working your way towards your goal of becoming an affiliate marketer.
You get to do all of this without having to compromise your sleep or work-life balance.
Here is How I Started
First, let me show you a before and after picture of me.
The image to the left is me going to an interview for a call center agent role. This was the third job I acquired while being a waiter on the weekends and a human resource manager during the day.
This new job would have me on the call floor taking customer service calls. I would go to this job right after my first job, starting at 6 PM.
Now, the image to the right is me with my Porsche Cayman S and with no job. The only thing that I was aiming for was to be able to let go of my two jobs and just stick to one stable job. I did not intend to be where I am at now.
My one-way ticket out of the rat race was affiliate marketing. It wasn't long before I started getting into affiliate marketing full time.
With my three jobs, I was able to put out my affiliate marketing campaigns little by little and with little money spent. A lot of people complain about a single job but I was able to pull it off with three. How? Here's how to do it.
Practice Staying Focus
These days, people juggle the word "focus" like it's the most simple word on the planet.
But in reality, it can take quite an effort to stay focused.
What you should do is to become aware of your goals.
It might even be best to write them down. From time to time, you might want to do something fun to keep you on track.
Here, while in Budapest, I walk to the park and write my overall goals and my weekly goals.
When you don't take a rest from achieving your goals, this can somehow ruin your focus at some point in time.
As for me, what I did was to read and listen to inspiration audio. Doing helped me become more self-aware in trying to reach my goals. Even when you are at work, you can write your dreams while riding a bus, on your 15-minute break, etc.
Stay Mindful And Keep On Improving
You don't have to be perfect before you try out affiliate marketing. Starting from level 1 is perfectly fine but you have to always remember to keep moving. This is another reason why I created my Incomplete Affiliate Marketing Guide. It gives you the basics.
You have to keep yourself from being stagnant. Don't allow yourself to stay in one place more than once. You have to improve your skills and character as a person.
Self-improvement can be pretty difficult if you're not mindful of your thoughts and actions. So aside from becoming a focused person, you also need to be mindful - of yourself as well as the environment where you move.
When you are at work, use your in-between time to research, read other peoples goals. Multi-tasking to do your job and your goals can be a hassle but you have a goal to do and that is job-free.
Determination And Goal Setting
Perhaps, one of the hardest thing about making it to the top is hitting the right balance between relaxation and determination.
Surely, you don't expect your affiliate marketing business to be successful by being idle. You might make some quick and easy money but that's all you're ever going to get if you lack determination and goal setting.
If you want to be successful, you need to put in the work.
Then again, if you stress yourself too much, this could also lead you to spiral down from the pedestal. This was one of my drawbacks because all I wanted to do was work.
Therefore, you need to strike the right balance. This means that you should do your best and exert as much effort as you can but don't forget to lie low once in a while. Make time for yourself. Find the time to relax and have fun.
Even when I was broke, I was able to hang out with friends at least once a week to make sure I am not secluded seeing as seclusion can lead to depression.
Use Time Wisely - 1 Hour Lunch, Why Not 30 Mins
It's when you get started with affiliate marketing, you realize how important time is. You might think that you're just spending a couple of minutes to chat away.
But you'll soon realize that these minutes you spend on other stuff can be put to better use by spending your 5 minutes creating and drafting campaigns.
The trick is to do the task as quickly as you can without compromising the quality. This means you have to put down the urge to procrastinate. When you do that, you'll succeed at a much higher speed.
While at work, utilize your 15 minutes, maybe instead of using the full hour lunch, use 30 minutes. You want to try to prioritize your goals within your workplace. So move fast but wisely.
Besides, the faster you move, the faster you'll make a mistake and gain experience. Once you've learned your lesson, it will feel much easier to get to where you want to be.
Surround Yourself Among Others with the Same Mindset
Many people have goals. You can bet that you're not the only one.
But the thing is the majority of these people only want to think about their dreams and never really make it happen.
Now that you're starting to take notice of your goals and seeking out ways to achieve them, you have to know how to set the right atmosphere for you.
It's true when people say "Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are". If you hang out with people with big dreams but no action, it won't take long before you also become one of them.
It's not that they'd be dragging you down or anything like that but the thing is the people you spend time with have an influence on you, even if you think you are a disciplined person. Environment means everything.
This was a crucial part of my online career, back in the day there was not a lot of online marketers. So I just wanted to have a group that was starting out just like me.
What I did was I started the IANteract Meetups/Hangouts. It was a group at the time on Meetup.com, so I can expand my group of friends outside my normal.
It allowed me to almost compete with everyone in my group. Similar to when you go to a workout group, everyone's energy is so high you want to just compete in the most friendly way.
Not only did we talk about our online journey, but also what was going on in life. I have made great relationships with my NJ group that everyone is family. These hangouts are very important and I personally think a very important part of growth.
A most important part of these meetups is to create friendships and not always talk about business. You have to balance life, pleasure, work.
These are just simple steps to take while working at your job, always try to keep improving in every aspect of your daily routine.
