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Online Careers: How I Found Mine

I have been working online for over 5 years now; here is how I hacked it!

By Brandie PetersPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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[ Youtube Video: My Story - How I Found My Online Career ]

The freedom lifestyle. Something many covet and few achieve. The ability to break free from the conventional 9 to 5 work structure, be your own boss and make money from virtually anywhere.

Although this is something that many people wish to do, few are actually able to obtain this or maintain it for an extended period of time. Why is this? Well, I believe there are two main reasons, lack of consistency in effort and lack of legitimate desire.

As someone who has been able to make a living working remotely from home and find a career online that I enjoy, I have learned firsthand what it actually takes in order to be able to do this. Sure, there are many people out in the world building up Instagram accounts or developing side hustles in "hopes" that it will pay off. However, it is actually quite rare to find an individual who has been in the trenches, fully self-employed, working online and bringing in a solid income selling themselves as a product or service.

Yes, freedompreneuership is a prominent part of our current Zeitgeist but actual, sustainable online business is a feat achieved by few. Even in my own journey, there have been many occasions where I, too, have found the struggle too immense and considered, quite seriously, throwing in the towel and finding one of those - what do you call it? - "Real Jobs!"

It has only been through a combination of necessity and sheer persistence that I have been able to keep up with it as long as I have. And as I look back at how far I have come and where my virtual career has taken me over the last six years, even I am surprised at times by how I have been able to manage it.

I mentioned before that the two main reasons, in my opinion, why people tend to fail at their attempts to achieve a freedom entrepreneur lifestyle are because of a lack of consistency and a low motivation or true desire. I arrived at this conclusion based on two important and vital facts.

#1 Most people are trying to get into this whole "online entrepreneurship" "make money online from home" for the wrong reasons.

They want to immediately be bringing in large sums of money - that likely won't happen overnight.

Or, they want immediate fame and recognition for achieving trivial milestones - I am sorry, again - that won't happen for you quickly or suddenly.

When they don't achieve their financial goals quickly enough, they immediately give up. The enthusiasm that they had originally, to make money or gain recognition, is lost and they cease to try any further. Stopping themselves and throwing in the towel while essentially just inches away from the start line. Zero consistency in effort. Discouraged, by the lack of immediate results or gains.

#2 Their desire is not real.

Becoming someone who is self-sustaining and virtually employed is not easy. It is, in fact, a personal Everest - and from the day you set out to do it, to the day where you begin to see gains, you'll be fighting through a whirlwind storm with your head down.

It is competitive - because many people are trying to do it.

It can at times feel fruitless - as "online employment" is not often well understood or recognized as the legitimate choice of direction by very many people.

And it is complicated. There is no roadmap that says 'turn left here' or 'you are guaranteed to be 100% successful.'

For this reason alone - the weak-willed are very promptly weeded out.

And those who just started looking for "ways to make money online" one afternoon, frustrated by something that their boss said to them at their 9 to 5 hustle - well, those people don't last long in the trenches.

No, in order to be successful at finding work online and building a virtual career for yourself - you need to have a genuine desire that isn't rooted in a frustration or a whimful hope.

For me - it was the reality that the career I wanted for myself didn't exist, in the location where I was living. It was also inspired by my son, and the need to bring in income so that I would be able to support us both in uncertain circumstances.

It also, to be quite honest with you, came from a stubborn refusal to not give up and a submission of personal pride. "Do the things that others won't, to have the things that others don't."

The earlier months and years were not glamorous. Working 20 hours day to make the same amount (or less) that someone would make at a conventional minimum wage job. Getting up every day early, to either learn a new strategy or implement a new strategy. Constant highs and lows - following new trials and errors and never quite standing on solid ground - until I did.

All it took was finding one thing that worked.

One thing that paid enough to justify the effort.

One thing that I felt passionate about to get up and do consistently day in and day out.

But that didn't come before months of tough trying.

It was only possible with a greater vision "a desire" that was well thought out and easy to focus on.

There is No Such Thing As Finding An Online Career, You Build An Online Career

There are people who will tell you that you can achieve anything if you "want" it bad enough.

I disagree, there are things that all of us "want" -- but very few of us actually have the capacity to follow through and obtain things that we merely want; rather it requires a feeling deeper than mere want; but instead, a substantial desire.

Additionally, a desire not paired with consistency and persistent action is just daydreaming. Which is precisely where the majority of aspiring online entrepreneurs get stuck.

The good news is that - I am a believer in the idealism that "if I can do it, you can do it too!"

Facing the reality that it won't be easy - but it will be worth it.

That is, if you have a pure desire and the gumption to follow through longterm.

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About the Creator

Brandie Peters

One of those virtually self-employed people. I do content writing and coaching for aspiring passion entrepreneurs. Marketing anarchist with a singular mantra "arrive to serve not to sell."

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