Net Marketing: A Passion Or An Obsession?

It had been a long day. I’d started at 4 a.m. reading and sifting through a mountain of emails; placing ads in ezines; researching new ezines to place more ads; writing an article; editing two other articles and just trying to learn a few things along the way. I promised myself I would take some time to relax and lay in the pool. By 8 p.m., I was still on the computer tired, grouchy and hungry. I never did spend any time in the pool.

Desperately needing a break, I went outside to sit on the patio. As I was sitting there, I asked myself, Why am I doing this? Why am I spending 10-12 hours in front of the computer?

Asking myself those questions caused other ones to flood into my mind. First they were:

- When was the last time I sat outside and just listened to the summer night sounds?
- When was the last time I read a book for pleasure and not to learn something?
- When was the last time I called my best friend just to chat?
- When was the last time I REALLY listened to what my husband was saying when my mind was not working on headlines/ad copy?
- When was the last time I went to dinner and a movie with my husband?
- Do I really need to get up at 4 a.m.?

Then those questions led to THESE questions:

- Why did I get into Internet marketing in the first place?
- Are the elements that attracted me in the beginning still there?
- Where do I see myself three years from today five years from today?
- Where does Net marketing fit in my life and do I still have a life?
- Do I really need to get up at 4 a.m.?

And those questions led to THESE questions:

- Why do I feel so driven to get so much done in one day?
- How much time each day do I want to devote to marketing?
- What am I trying to accomplish each day (in Net marketing)?
- Do I really need to get up at 4 a.m.?

And FINALLY:

- Has Internet marketing gone from a passion to an OBSESSION?
- Am I still having fun?
- Do I really need to get up at 4 a.m.?

I suspect these are questions we ask ourselves frequently. I think we ask these questions when we are tired, burnt-out and frustrated those times when we feel like failures and think we’re never going to get it.

I know that’s how I felt that evening.

I was able to answer some of the questions. Some I still need to think about. In particular, trying to understand where that thin line between a passion and an obsession is.

I think we HAVE to step away from the computer every once and a while. We NEED to ask ourselves these questions and explore the answers we come up with. And here are perhaps the two most important questions of all:

- Am I ignoring the special people who enhance my life?
- Am I forgetting that I only have today?

It is not the length of life, but the depth of life.
Emerson

P.S. I threw my alarm clock in the garbage.

© By Jo McNamara 2001

About the Author

Jo McNamara lives in Orlando, FL, with 8 cats and 1 husband. To receive all other articles written by Jo: articles_jomc@sendfree.com and articles2_jomc@sendfree.com

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