Self-Earned Income: Things I Wish I Could Go Back and Tell Myself A Year Ago

A year ago, I began creating all of my online platforms. I began attempting to earn a living at home without working a full-time job for a company owned by someone else.

I went into this process without understanding what I needed to do, with unrealistic expectations and set myself up for failure.

If I could go back to a year ago and tell myself then… what I know now…. Here are some of the things I would say.

• Don’t expect success from the very start: Starting anything from scratch, especially things that no one knows about, is going to take time. You are going to have to play the long game. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

• Learn from trial and error: You are going to make mistakes. Don’t go off kicking yourself because something you attempted… didn’t pan out. Review why it didn’t work and take the steps to improve it and try again.

• Connect with others as much as you can: Have you ever hear the term…. “It’s who you know?” This is a true term when it comes to creating digital content, writing a blog or owning and online shop like Etsy… Interact with other owners or creators. Communicate about what did or did not work for you and learn from others.

• Don’t start so many projects at one time: Start with one thing first, get it to a point you are happy and comfortable with and then start on the next project. You will get overwhelmed quite quickly and you could end up disregarding a plan that could have been beneficial if you had taken your time.

• Do your research: Don’t start something without doing the research on best practices, what does and does not work and the most productive options. Learn from the blunders and mistakes of others and give yourself a better path to success from the very start.

I spent so much time fumbling through the processes…. Starting things before researching them and spending two or three months making simple mistakes that I could have avoided if I had just taken my time and researched the information.

If you are just starting out trying side businesses or your own income streams, take the time to go through these tips. Don’t be like me and bang your head against a wall after six months…. realizing you could have saved so much time and money!

Good luck to you all!

🧡Shine Bright, Kayla

Originally published on Medium.com December 2022