Earlier this week I planned to post about the next step I took on my Voyage in my affiliate marketing career. Life did not cooperate. It dealt me a setback, and then a bit of frustration. I was given lemons and found it impossible to turn that into lemonade. All I could do was be patient and understand life has its ups and downs and to wait to pick up where I left off.
On Sunday, May 26, I was on my computer in my office about 11:00 am creating my Memorial Day Blog, and knew a severe storm was approaching. I saw the wind pick up, which quickly turned into ferocious straight line winds. Then right in front of me I saw the wind change and start rotating in a circle, like a vortex. I wondered if I was watching the birth of an F0 tornado or a microburst. Then the power went out. Living in Kentucky the last eight years, I was used to the power going out during a severe storm.
Fortunately my Blog post auto saved so I didn’t lose my work. A lesson here – always save your work frequently and if you can put it on auto save, do so.
After I went around the house and turned off my backup power supplies and got my emergency radio and candles ready, I looked out my windows facing the backyard and saw trees from the neighbor’s yards had crashed into my yard, destroying most of my fence and knocking the power transformer to the ground. That explained the power outage and I knew this would be a couple of days. When the power went out, so did my wi-fi. So much for getting any work done. I was fortunate that only the yard and fence were affected, not the house.
Two days later the power was finally restored. However, my internet was still out and would not be restored until Friday. Since I do a lot of work on my home iMac, especially my Blog, I was unable to do anything other than work on cleaning up the mess in my yard. Before Sunday I was making progress on my Blog and was feeling really good about getting caught up on my Beginner’s Advantage training. Now nothing. Frustrating, yes, but I had no other choice other than to be patient.
After my Internet service was restored, I finished my Memorial Day post and started my training again. This was short lived as I flew to Las Vegas on Sunday for a mini-vacation, returning Wednesday. I fully intended to create another Blog post and possibly continue my Beginner’s Advantage training in the morning before I went out to experience Vegas, but I was unable to connect to Affiliate System on my laptop, despite all my best efforts. Interestingly I was able to connect to my Internet Profits hub and Facebook. Odd. Yes, I did enjoy Vegas but was frustrated I was unable to continue progress on my business. Just not meant to be.
A great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can work from anywhere. You are not limited to a fixed location. You can go anywhere and stay up to date on everything. That is, as long as your technology works. I do not advise working on your vacation though, because vacation is meant to be enjoyed. Nothing wrong with sending a few posts or even a Blog of your adventure, but as is my motto – life is meant to be enjoyed.
This meant I was mostly absent from my affiliate marketing business and blog for 10 days. I resigned myself to the fact that life gave me a setback on my progress and I got more experience with patience. It’s ok because I am in this for the long term and am back now, picking up where I left off.
As you start your affiliate marketing business, you will have setbacks and frustration. That’s life. Remembering you are not in a sprint race but are focused on the long term will help you keep a positive attitude. Remember your Why and your Goals. I am committed to this because I want to enjoy the rest of my life in retirement. Going to Vegas for a couple of days reaffirmed I want to generate the income to enjoy my dream life. It made my Why seem more real.
So dream. Dream about the life you want to have. Then commit to achieving it and know there will be setbacks and frustration along the way but that is only temporary. You are not in it to get rich quickly, but to get rich forever. Now that I am on my Voyage again, I am looking forward to what’s next (hint – Orlando).
Wow, You have been through a lot. I thought going through the aftermath of a tropical cyclone was bad but your experience with the trees crashing down on to your property sounds horrendous. At least the house was spared. Good on you for taking the vacation in Vegas. You deserved it and the business can wait a while. Good to see that you got back in the saddle without too many worries. All the best.
Jordan having lived outside Louisville I know those summer storms can creep up quickly and have quite a punch. Glad to hear everyone was ok and it was mostly fence and yard casualties. As for missing out on your business, sometimes as you say we have no control over the hurdles. We can however control how we respond and you seem to have kept a good handle on that. So here’s to moving on and your success!
Thanks, Ken. Yes, Kentucky does have some extreme weather and all we can do is react when something like that happens. Yes, it does detract from my schedule when I have to clean up the mess, but that’s part of being a homeowner. The good part is there are a couple fewer trees surrounding my backyard, so fewer leaves to clean up in the fall 🙂
Thanks, Andy. Life happens. We all have good days and bad days. Hopefully they balance out. Nothing I can do about a natural disaster except react to it.
Hi Jordan,
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s always inspiring to read about how others handle setbacks and continue moving forward. Life often throws curveballs, and it’s easy to feel frustrated when things don’t go as planned, especially when you have big goals and ambitions.
Your reminder to save work frequently and use auto save is a good reminder. Technology can be unpredictable, but taking proactive steps can help mitigate some of the stress when things don’t work out.
It’s also encouraging to see how you balance work and leisure during your trip to Vegas. While it can be frustrating to face technical issues, it’s important to remember to enjoy life and take breaks.
Your commitment to the long-term vision of your business is commendable. Keeping our “Why” and goals at the forefront helps us navigate through tough times and stay motivated.
Wishing you continued success and looking forward to hearing more about your adventures and progress.
Meredith
Thanks, Meredith. One of the biggest life lessons I learned was to save my work often in case the worst happens. I have lost documents I was working on in the past when the power went out. Life happens and the best I can do is prepare as well as I can and react to what happens. Vegas was very enjoyable, it always is. Of course, I never gamble so I never fear losing money.
Sounds like you are a lot like the rest of us. We get caught up in life. My motto for this year is Forward. So even if I have left things alone for awhile I alway come roaring back
Thanks, Scott. Yes, sometimes I get caught up in things and distracted from what matters. However, I do come back and keep focused on my goals. That’s a great motto that I believe all of us share in this group. sometimes a break is good, but it might take a little bit to get back on track.
Hi Jordan,
Wow, what a rollercoaster of a week you had! It’s incredible how life can throw such unexpected challenges our way. Your experience with the storm and the subsequent tech issues really puts things into perspective. It’s a stark reminder of how crucial it is to have backup plans, whether it’s autosaving work or contingency strategies for tech failures. For me, I try to only pick platforms that have good customer service so those tech headaches don’t turn into migraines, lol.
I completely agree with you on the importance of patience and the long game in affiliate marketing. It’s so easy to get discouraged when things don’t go as planned, but your approach to embracing these setbacks and using them as learning opportunities is spot-on.
Your recent experiences in Vegas also highlight an important lesson: balancing work and leisure. Even though it was frustrating to face tech issues during your trip, it’s great that you were able to enjoy yourself and recharge. Sometimes, stepping away can provide fresh perspectives and renewed motivation. Your story is a powerful reminder that setbacks are just part of the journey, not the end of it.
Looking forward to seeing what’s next on your voyage!
Thanks, Alison. I have learned to take the bad with the good. It’s a test of my character during the not so pleasant times. I’m lucky there wasn’t any serious damage. Ah the joys of being a homeowner. I have embraced Dean’s philosophy that my business is about getting rich forever, not quickly. Vegas was a nice break and I so missed that city. I don’t gamble so I just enjoyed myself.