If you follow my blog regularly, you know that most of my posts are of the tutorial and marketing variety.
I rarely create posts solely on my personal thoughts, or use this blog as a place to vent.
Well today, my friends, is different.
I have to be careful with my words because I certainly don’t want to come across as condescending or arrogant — that is NOT my intention, so I apologize in advance if you get that vibe.
However, I really need to get something off my chest regarding the emails I receive from lazy people. This topic has caused me to do a lot of thinking lately. (Yes, the picture above is me… thinking). đ
First of all, let me just state that I absolutely LOVE helping people. In fact, it’s a big reason why I’m able to make a comfortable living online to this day.
I enjoy giving advice to people who are making a valiant effort at affiliate marketing and creating a website or blog. I can relate to what you’re going through because I have been there before.
I am a firm believer in paying it forward, and I know for certain if you go out of your way to help others, it will come back to you tenfold. My income is a great example of that.
Here Comes “The But”
What I don’t like or respect is people who expect to get something out here for nothing. And when I say nothing, I’m not necessarily talking about money. I’m talking about hard work, dedication, and taking the time to L-E-A-R-N.
So what sparked this blog post, you ask?
I received an email from a gentleman who claimed he wanted to make a full-time living online with a website, but wanted me to suggest the fastest method that would allow him to do as little work as possible (especially when it comes to creating his website.) According to him, he just didn’t have time to sit and learn how to build a website.
Yes. Those were his exact words. I am not paraphrasing.
Do you see anything wrong with that question? Since when does making a full-time living online and doing as little work as possible go together?Â
As if to suggest there is a way to make a lot of money online without doing much. It’s that ridiculous get-rich-quick mentality that plagues the Web.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Of course there are ways to make money online without building your own website. There’s PPC marketing with affiliate programs, MLM companies that provide you with a website, and the list continues.
Although I should add that even if you do take those routes, you STILL have to work hard at promoting your business.
However, I didn’t get the feeling that this guy was asking about such methods. I hate to say it, but he just seemed flat out lazy to me.
And I probably wouldn’t have blogged about this email if this was the first or second one I’ve received. I receive multiple emails like this on a consistent basis.
It truly baffles me.
The Facts
Let me make one thing very clear. When I started this 10 years ago, I never had one single web design or programming class. I had never created a website before, had no mentor/consultant, and no formal training in marketing or writing.
The only Internet skills I had were browsing and sending email.
And because of my novice status, I made a lot of mistakes. Tons of them. Several of my sites failed. My income went up and down like a yo-yo the first few years, and sometimes I even doubted that I was ever going to earn enough to comfortably quit my 9 to 5.
I was no coding/programming genius (nor did I have a real interest in becoming one) and would often get frustrated when I couldn’t figure out something.
There were weeks where I would spend 20 to 30 hours on my websites in addition to the 40 hours a week I put in at my full-time job. That meant a lot of weekend work and late, late nights… even during the weekdays.
But I knew, if I wanted to be my own boss and have a successful business, I was going to have to get out of my comfort zone, work hard and continue to learn new things.
To this day, I STILL don’t care much for coding, but took the time to learn enough to develop a presentable website. So for those of you assuming you cannot succeed because you have no background in computers or web design, let me be your example and say…
You CAN do this, but you have to sacrifice SOMEthing. And if you aren’t willing to put in hard work, learn something new, get out of your comfort zone and invest the time, then this might not be for you.
And let me say that I truly understand the not-enough-time issue. Many people simply don’t have the time they’d like to devote to this. But I will say, if you are committed to making this work and really enjoy the ride, you always find the time.
Lisa’s disclaimer: I’m not by any means suggesting people who don’t have time are lazy. This is a separate point. I brought it up because I know the time involvement is a big issue for a lot of you.
To Sum it Up…
I’ll say it again…
I LOVE helping people, especially when I see they are trying very hard to learn. But I have no respect or tolerance for people looking to get something for nothing. It’s not the way the business world works whether you’re online or off.
OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now. đ
Thanks for letting me vent.
caleb ramsey says
i think you are lazy if you are playing games on the computer all day like world of warcraft but if you work all day it is ok to play on the computer and if you are retired and you are in your in your 30’s,40’s and you retired you are lazy but if you have problem and your if court said you can’t work any ware you are not lazy but if you are in in your 50’s,60’s and you are retired you are not lazy
capricho says
Hi Lisa
the old saying( help enough others get what they want an you will get what you want) people sometimes take kindness for granted ,To me your so special an it does reflect
as pure light…..
Allyson says
Lisa – had to comment on your “lazy people” post.
As a granny massage practitioner, I know my hands won’t be strong forever, so I’m wanting to supplement and eventually earn a full-time living from my online writing efforts.
When I think of “lazy”, my dear hubby comes to mind. For all he sees me do and try, it never ceases to amaze me that he STILL carries that “paycheck mentality” around with him like some old friend – even tho he’s been laid off for over 8 mo. now!! Matter of fact, the first thing he asked me when I suggested he start a little office cleaning biz (just in case he doesn’t find work in our area), was “how much do you think i’ll earn from that?”
I was hoping he’d ask me a more pertinent question, such as “Can I read that e-book on office cleaning you downloaded?”
So you’re right to feel the way you do about questions from folks who could invest 5 minutes of their time into THEMSELVES and start learning on their own.
WHEW…we gals can get on those soap boxes, can’t we? lol
.-= Allyson´s last blog … Zemanta ROCKS!! =-.
Kenmon says
Lisa, I can’t agree with you more! Lazy people are a waste of time. But it might not be entirely their fault. Look at how technology has made everyoneâs life so convenient and easy to manage. Vehicles can park themselves, cell phones are mini computers, software that allow you post to all your social accounts at once, and this list goes on and on.
It is like everything is be handed out on a silver platter, so why canât someone find a profitable niche, get a few tips from someone successful (Lisa) on how they did it, create a site, quit their job and wait for the money to start rolling in? Iâm almost sure that anyone in their right mind knows that this is NOT REALITY. But then again, if someone is saying a $37 eBook or a $2000 conference with a guru is how they gained their instant success. Then it must be true and I can do it too! NOT!!!!!
Now with that said, you are a RARE person because when someone normally speaks about their success, they fail to mention that it took many years (10) and a lot of hard work to get here. If more people would tell their success story and what it really took to get where they are now, I am almost sure that would deter a lot of lazy people that are just looking to have that overnight success.
Love your blogs so keep doing what you are doing.
KP
saroj says
hiii i am saroj from india.. i am a student in computer science and engineering (final year)….. i want to know how to earn…
i dont know anything about it… please give me some idea..
i will do hard woK for it…
Bubblewraped Blogger says
At its worst times, its still A LOT BETTER then having a boss you hate looking over your shoulder for 7.5 hrs đ
Great post, as my name suggests I’m new to blogging (but not so new to online business). Sometimes I get overwhelmed with how much I need to learn , from writing to commenting to marketing to programming(and i could probably break them down to several sub-categories) , but when I get discouraged at the sheer amount of reading and learning I think to myself that if I had started a new job I would be getting at least 2 to 4 weeks of training(probably). And that I must be patient and keep working because I know that if I can keep it up I will be successful and help people at the same time.
.-= Bubblewraped Blogger´s last blog … Click all the way to the bank? or NOT? =-.
Antonis from Greece says
Dear Lisa,
I was reading this article and it was like i wrote it. I have a reputable site (travel services) here in Greece and i make a decent living out of it while i am in the progress of expanding to other markets pretty soon.
Many friends of mine ask me the same thing: “What can i do in order to make money by doing nothing like you?”. Most likely they ask me because they never saw me coming back from my 9 to 5 job, jumping into my computer and going to sleep at 3 am. The same scenario kept on going for 20 months, seven days a week until my first paycheck arrived. All this time the only things i had was expenses, lack of sleep and many other stuff that never added anything to my bank account.
In order to be successful i had to fail in my first 3 attempts. Now i still have to work on my site and keep up with it but it takes just a few hours every week.
Great article keep up the good work.
Best regards
Antonis from Athens Greece
Chuck D. says
Fantastic, well thought out post. Bravo.
Peter says
I don’t think I’m lazy, just stupid.
I can work hard physically but I know those days are number if not up already.
I think it could be the mental capacity that people lack, such as me.
caleb ramsey says
why do think you are stupid
tony says
Lisa,
There is alot of hype around a new web browser named ijango. Supposedly they give you a 1pct commission for using the browser whenever there is a sale. What do you think of it? Do you think its a scam?
They want people to pay a monthly fee of 19.95 to participate in profit sharing. I still am on the fence regarding this venture.
Brian McLachlan says
Lisa,
Just discovered you and find your refreshing honesty remarkable right when I was about ready to throw my Mac Book in the creek out behind my house. I’m an artist woodworker trying to redo my old web site by myself. As you may have heard recently all kinds of artists aren’t doing real well these days. Free or bartering is the working budget. Promises are promises until they are kept. Keep up the great work and I’ll consider my self a new fan and follower.
Philip says
Hi ya Lisa
Love your website, came across it by accident about 3 weeks ago while doing a search on google and I am totally hooked. Anyways I hope I can learn a lot from your experiences. No website yet but in the near future I hope to make one, not just sure of the concept yet. I also joined your web forum.
Philip
Guido says
Hi Lisa,
been through your site with a fine tooth comb and still not finished; it’s so full of very useful information.
Having arrived at your “Wailing Wall” I just had to add some old saying: “Tidy people are only tidy because they are too lazy to look for things”
Some people, I have come across during my 3 generation life span, are so incredibly lazy that they rather die than pull their finger out.
There is a simple underlying attitude: if there is no instant gratification then it is just not worth doing.
Juanita Williamson says
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad you wrote this and I only hope those who sent in the letters are reading this. Alot of people critizise me for the hours I spend online working on my sites. They have no idea the work that is put in when your trying to do it right and not half ass,..I do it to set myself for sucess not failure. People like those will never be sucessful for they dont have the will or determination for hard work.
Rodrigo says
Great post! I am a lazy person but I haven’t realized it until a few years ago when I started my own business (an internet business, actually). I started it with SBI which you already know and it took me a lot of time (about 2 years) to accept that hard work is the key skill. I also learned a lot from 2createawebsite.
Today my website gets 100K+ visitors per month and I’m planning on developing a new one.
Some time ago, I explained a friend how to develop a popular website and how to make money from it (that’s the part I’m less knowledgeable). He is in a bad financial situation so I even purchased a cheap hosting and domain to let him learn and build his first website.
After all of that, he just wrote a few articles and then said “I won’t continue with this because it is a lot of work”. I was so angry… but I learned that it is not possible to convince a lazy person to work, unless they already want.
And I remembered when I was a lazy person who also wanted everything for nothing. I’m glad I’m over that now.
BTW, I don’t mention my website becuase it is in Spanish (it’s about dogs) and don’t want non-Spanish readers, sorry.
Regards,
Rodrigo
Donna says
I accidentally came upon your website while diligently looking for a way to build an internet home business. I am a school speech pathologist and a counselor, but my passion is art, photography and scrapbooking. In other words, there are a lot of areas I have to work with. I was about to give up because I saw so much useless scammy stuff on the web, I was beginning to believe that there were no legitimate ways to have a successful business and I was becoming very discouraged. Finding your website was an answer to my prayers. I have multiple sclerosis and I am in a wheelchair 50% of my day. It is important to me to continue to contribute to society and remain as financially independent as I can so that I will not be a burden to my children or taxpayers. I have been watching your videos, taking notes, and doing research. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you have provided me so much knowledge for FREE when there are others on the web willing to charge inexorbitant fees for 10 or 12 pages of garbage. Thank you so much for your generosity and the hard work that you have put in to help others be successful. Perhaps you could link some of those who think it should be easy with some of those who say it is!!! I hope you have an awesome week!!
Somalia Merrick says
Lisa,call me crazy but I would like to know the real Lisa thats not so biz. Like what you like doing,whats your favorite drink,you like sports,married/kids? That should be your next blog I know you needed ideas.Continue
William from Michigan says
I saw you on You Tube yesterday along with other simular videos and sites. I so far enjoy your content and hope that your success continues. Get Rich Quick IDEAS JUST DONT WORK AND YOU CAN NEVER GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. I can say that YOUR WORK so far has given me a new direction in life as I am 2yrs removed from my job which I worked 7yrs at before being “let go” on bogus charges. I saw the link on the first pg for SiteSell which I know about already however I couldnt log on to the link to see you in action with it. Could you possibly email me the video because I would like to really see this first hand if you are offering it to your readers. Thanks for providing the public and net with good content.
lisa says
Thanks William, the link to the video is
http://www.2createawebsite.com/videos/sbi.html
Anonymous says
Accidently found your website while looking for info on how to create a website. I am 78 years old but still going! When I was young, nothing much was expected of women, such as going to work. My dad was from Europe and the old school. He believed that God would provide, saying look at the birds
they do not work – God would do it. Women in his life and also my mom (from the deep south) did not expect anything of me. I never married and worked at an office job 9-5 and not until I reached 40 did I wake up, started investing and now I have over $3 Million. They only good thing my father taught me at an early age was -“save your money”. I am now independent and can stay at home on the couch. But I feel there is a lot more for me to do in this life. So I am looking into all sorts of careers using what I know.
Your column was so insightful and encouraging. I loved it!
More power to you girl!
June
Tina says
I agree with you. Even in our buiness you see it all the time. It is hard work if you want to go places in life. And that is not just in web building.
Don says
Lisa,
I just saw your website for the first time. I have a good job that I really LOVE. However, I want to make extra money and going online to do it while at home seems like something that will work for me. I feel I have a lot of wisdom, life experiences, opinions and feedback I can offer to many poeple out on the internet. I am 59 yrs. old. I am not afraid of hard work, and certainly have learned in my 59 yrs. that nothing in this life is free!
I am like you, though, when you started. All I know about the internet is finding other websites, emailing and searching the web for information. I don’t know the first thing about how to post blogs or information I want to get out on the internet and how do I get “members” or how do I get paid for what I am doing on the web? Can you help suggest anything?
Thanks,
DON
Design2Xdreamz says
So great to discover your site and blog today, view your videos and stumble across this post in particular! Iâm a fan. I agree with your sentiment here and have definitely experienced the same thing.
In particular Iâd like to share with you a recent experience⌠on a telephone job interview I was asked the question âhow many hours a week do you spend on your website and how many on school activities (because Iâm also in school completing a masters degree in marketing)â⌠needless to say I was shocked that it would make a negative impact on the interview if I said I work 40 hours a week, spend 20-30 on my website, blogs, and videos etc, then another 10-15 on school (online and I am a straight A student). I got to thinking after that call (and I did not get the job) I bet they thought I was exaggerating. I am not! I work a lot and like you, started knowing nothing and had to learn, albeit I did learn from some classroom instruction, online instruction in conjunction with coursework but still learning all the same. Everyone has to start somewhere. And as you say, put in the time.
Iâm following you on Twitter now too! Rock on.
Design2Xdreamz says
So great to discover your site and blog today, view your videos and stumble across this post in particular! I’m a fan. I agree with your sentiment here and have definitely experienced the same thing.
In particular I’d like to share with you a recent experience… on a telephone job interview I was asked the question “how many hours a week do you spend on your website and how many on school activities (because I’m also in school completing a masters degree in marketing)”… needless to say I was shocked that it would make a negative impact on the interview if I said I work 40 hours a week, spend 20-30 on my website, blogs, and videos etc, then another 10-15 on school (online and I am a straight A student). I got to thinking after that call (and I did not get the job) I bet they thought I was exaggerating. I am not! I work a lot and like you, started knowing nothing and had to learn, albeit I did learn from some classroom instruction, online instruction in conjunction with coursework but still learning all the same. Everyone has to start somewhere. And as you say, put in the time.
I’m following you on Twitter now too! Rock on.
Sarang says
Well i understand your frustration over the people who dont want to do anything themselves rather they keep on waiting for someone else to come and do their work for them. I had a somewhat similar anger attack which i vented out in the following small post:
http://mukalma.blogspot.com/2009/02/waiting-for-super-hero.html
fiona cmm says
Hi Lisa,
Well, i totally agree with u. We wont get to taste the sweetness of success without tasting bitterness. And i always believe anything is possible with a willing heart. Lazy people wont get too far, nor will they be successful..
sgtmac66 says
Sorry, but I had to laugh at your post…Being an old construction guy, I had to sympathize with your thoughts.
The construction industry is frought with guys…(and now gals) that want the income, but not the hard work. My dad owned a construcution company for years. We ran three crews. I can recall several years, where we went throu 30 or more guys.
All of them wanted to start out at $10.00 an hour-(In my day that was great wage for a top guy)! However in the end, what they really wanted was an 8-5 job with an hour for lunch, three breaks and weekends off, and paid on Friday,s.
If anyone knows the const. bus, that ain’t so. Seven to start, 12 hour days or longer, two 10 minute breaks, usually work Saturday and an occasional Sunday if the job had to get done.
More often than not, they would last a week or two, then come by and demand a paycheck. Same with website design. It’s hardwork and you need to learn a few things first.
Lisa, you need to deal with these guys as we dealt with ours. If your here for a quick paycheck find another line of work…or another place to goof off!
John Salamon says
There is no such thing as a free lunch!
It always seems that everyone else has it easy, but it only SEEMS that way.
It is always the UNSEEN that people discount, all the effort and hard work invested by an individual excelling it at something, while the weak and lazy put their faith in fate. Your future is yours to create, so get off your as and create it!
Good onya Lisa
Johnny says
Hey girl… Don’t you dare let this dude upset you… As I have mentioned a few times, I been doing this for approx 5 years, but have not made much money.
I to, have put in a lot of work, so I know the frustration. There have been plenty of times when I have wanted to give up. However, I kept going and now things are finally starting to look better.
It is no-where near your income, but I am actually making money. Each month it gets a little bit better. my wife and I have just rolled out a new site “The Savvy Woman” it hasn’t even been indexed by the search engines yet (5 days old).
A lot of my recent success I owe to reading the posts on your sites…
Thanks for the help,
Johnny
http://www.the-savvy-woman.com
http://www.collegetidbits.com
http://www.johnzpchut.com
Matt says
Lisa, Congratulations on your success. I originally found you on YouTube. I think I was searching for Adsense tips or something. I have been designing websites for almost ten years. I have only been doing affiliate marketing since May of this year. I have mastered many programming languages and can set websites up with the greatest of ease, but now I am learning how to write effectively and putting in the time I KNOW I need to put in.
I had great success building sites for other people, but wanted to figure out how to earn passive income. I have had many “followers” since I began working on website development and they always inferred that what I did was easy and they wanted to know how they could “easily” do the same thing. I started out doing it with a full time job and married with 2 kids. I had to work on my “web stuff” in the middle of the night and sometimes pulling all-nighters to finish projects or to just LEARN!
My response to the same type of “lazy” people is, “There is no easy way! It takes a long time and a lot of patience.”
It’s just like anything else. Stuff just takes time and dedication.
I’m so proud of you for sticking with your niche for as long as you have. It definitely sounds like it has paid off for you. Since May, I have released about 15 different sites that incorporate Adsense, the Ebay Partner Network, Wild West Domains, Clickbank, and some Commission Junction. I have earned a little over $1000.00, but I am starting to realize that if I don’t stick with a niche and really focus, I’ll never truly succeed. Sadly, I think I’m following into the “lazy” category. I keep chasing different ideas and starting new things.
I decided to stick with what I know best and that is building websites and blogs. That is how I created the “Fire Your Website Designer” brand.
So, I agree with what you are saying. This stuff is hard. It’s hard like anything else anyone could ever decide to do. I read on Steve Pavlina’s site that 1 out of every 100 people succeed at this stuff.
I think he’s right.
Keep up the great work!
Len says
Hi Lisa,
I just read your article about lazy people. I agree with you 100%. First of all I wanted to say that your website “2 create a website” is my internet bible. Everything I want to know is somewhere in that site. It is in my favorites and I refer to it very often. Please never stop. I would be lost.
I’m a lot like you, I LOVE to help other people. I have been searching the internet for several years and have found much frustration. I find so many sites that offer more than they can give and a lot that only make the art of making money more confusing. It actually makes me mad that people don’t take the time to explain their offers in an easy concept so that a new person can figure out what it is that they are supposed to do.
My passion is pretty much the same as yours. I want to open the eyes of those who want to try their hand and help them to see which way to go. I know that nothing worth keeping or doing is going to be easy and there is no such thing as get rich quick. If there were, there would be no challenge.
I have tried and tried to do what I believe so strongly in but I just never seem to understand all the in’s and out’s. As long asw I have your site to reference I can look forward to the day when I will be able to be of as much help to others as you are.
Thanks for letting me vent and keep working.
Your number ONE admirer Len
robert allport says
You go girl! People of the same vibe flock together and I feel your vibe. While I do feel a certain sense of pity for the “do nothings” of the world, I am never surprised at the number of humanity who have somehow managed to fall under the illusion that money comes from nothing and the chicks are free. Dig it. I’m a fifty three year old Disabled American Veteran (Navy). And, yes, I sailed the seven seas. I’m a reformed card carrying member of the 60’s and 70’s Free Love and Drug Culture Country Club who was raised on do nothing, expect everything and do it now. It took me thirty years to realize there are some sick bastards in the world because I was one of them. But I’ve been on the mend for the past decade or so. There must be hope for the remaining population that suffers the delusion that lazy pays off. The only thing some of your inquirers probably need is a swift boot of reality up their dead beat ass and nothing shakes a dead beat man’s ass like a woman who is well put together. Most of them won’t like you, but the ones who are worth saving will get busy. Keep on truckin’ and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
P.S. E-Mail me sometime. I think we have a lot in common. Rob.
Oh, by the way, I’m a Libra but don’t hold that against me.
mirage2009 says
Hi Lisa,
How are you? Ummm, I just would like to say that maybe the lazy people are one of the main reasons hard workers get the credit, if everybody was a hard worker then there would be no famous people and no experts because we all would be the same.
The point is don’t be mad at lazy guys just try to energize them.
see ya!!
Jen Patton says
Hi Lisa,
I completely agree with you- it is amazing how prevalent laziness is.
Still working a full time J.O.B. where I see only about 20% (if that) of people giving it their all, I have come to the realization that you are always going to have the go-getters and the no-getters in life.
It is the go-getters like yourself (and like I believe I am) that will continue pushing forward against all odds to get where they want to go.
It is the no-getters who will blame everyone but themselves while they continue to sit on the couch doing nothing.
Feel free to vent more frequently- hopefully it was an eyeopener for some!
Jen
Carla says
Sometimes, you have to realize that you cant do it all too. My first site was a DIY one and it was HORRIBLE. Staying up until 2:00AM when I have to get up to go to work at 6:00AM is not a good idea (for me), especially when I have to drive. I eventually had to hire someone and invest a couple hundred dollars just to have a site that’s usable or I probably would have spent the next 6 months with HTML and CSS books in hand crying my eyes out from exhaustion and still have an ugly, useless site. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and spend some money.
M24K says
Hi Lisa,
I joined your site because I immediately saw the helpful environment. I’m a consultant by day, and tend to be helpful, just a part of my personality. I’ve found the downside to helpfulness is that it attracts moochers, leechers, users, exploiters, and yes, like you talked about – lazies. Those folk are relentless in trying to get something for nothing. They want to complain to you, and then you’re supposed to be off & running, coming up with solutions. When you look back, guess what – they’re “sitting there” with their legs crossed, looking at you while you do ALL the work!
So spotting them up front (or as soon as it’s noticed they’re not willing to do what they can for themselves) and clearly communicating that they’ll have to do their part, if they want help, works best for me. I kind of went into “advising” mode – didn’t mean to, but I can definitely relate to your post!
Michele
Wil says
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad to come across your site and check out your blog. I was actually looking for an HTML coding guide and to tell you the truth I find your site very accommodating and helpful. I’ve been struggling for many months looking for a complete basic HTML coding guide to improve the layout of my site until I found yours. I certainly agree with you that there’s no secret way of becoming successful on our field of work except creative thinking and hard work…hard work….hard work and still hard work. No shortcuts, magic and other way around except HARD WORK! Cheers for all the workaholics!
neil says
I agree with what you say about lazy people. They have motivation (primarily greed) just not the desire to learn.
This is different than my problem. I’m a “digital artist” whatever that really means anymore. Primarily I work with 3-D. Every job I look at requires me to pick up one or two extra programs just to be considered.
After doing some graphic design work, I’m delving into web-design now. The difficulty is programs like Dreamweaver aren’t developed with artists in mind. They’re programmer’s programs, not designer’s programs. I’ve tinkered with iWeb, which is a wonderful program because it allows you to drag and drop elements in a page. Unfortunately it doesn’t allow for much of the sophisticated elements we’re so used to seeing on the web, so sites can seem quite bare and over-simple.
But attacking a program like Dreamweaver, and putting a question in a forum invariably leads me to an answer full of code and the recommendation that I’ve “gotta learn the code”. Why? Why not create a user-friendly program? It isn’t laziness to say, after a typical 12-hour day and tutorials in two other programs, that I just want to find out which buttons inside Dreamweaver will let me do something.
Yes, my situation is different from the lazy person’s up there. But these programs should be more user-friendly. When I was learning to paint, no one told me I should learn how to write code, or even build an easel and brush. Leave the code to the programmers, who write programs, and let the artists and designers free up their time to create.
Thanks for your great blog.
Jordy says
Lisa, thanks for sharing about the effort that it takes to be a success online.
About six months ago you simply encouraged me in a Website Babble Forum post to not quit that eventually there is a pay out for my efforts.
I have since moved from making $30 dollars per month to my combined earnings for last month were close to $500.
Like you I started with no knowledge of building a website or Internet marketing. I have invested many hours in learning.
Thank you for your honesty and encouragement.
All the best, Jordy
R.J. says
Oh O.K. thanks.
lisa says
Thanks RJ,
I was referring to the many people who tell me they hate computers and/or have never been good with them so they use that to prevent them from trying or moving forward. They put themselves in this “box of fear” and never step out of it.
R.J. says
Your posts just keep getting better and better!
I for one refuse to be a lazy bum(although I have been guilty of procrastination which I’m sure all successful people have gone through lol).
I have one question. What do you mean be “getting out of your comfort zone(I think I understand. I just want to make sure)?
Katrina says
Lisa,
I recently found your website and I wanted to thank you. I’ve yet to get through all of your information but what I’ve read I like and makes sense.
Go ahead and vent! đ it’s good for you. Yes there will be those who want something for nothing – they will always be lurking. But the rest of us are just trying to ‘make it work’ for us.
Keep up the great work!
Katrina
nick dafos says
oh lisa đ you are so cute thinking !
i am definitely a lazy person, very lazy actually. but at least i dont bug others to make it easy for me lol !
sometime maybe i will have the way to make a web site and earn money online.
but until then.. happy laziness lol ! ! ! !
lisa says
Excellent post, John.
John McKay says
Hi Lisa,
Neat site, I just came across it the other day, and it’s had some good info.
While I agree that laziness is a bad thing, I think there’s a great value to be gained from asking the question “What is the fastest and easiest way to make money?” I think that within certain parameters, it makes sense.
First, let me say that you have to do something you love. Making money doing something you hate is never easy, no matter how little ‘work’ is involved. So, the second question answers itself.
Next, you have to think deeply about what you love and what is the most profitable (or potentially profitable) aspect of the thing you love. That is the “Fastest” way to make money, doing what you love.
I’ve been involved with businesses that made good money, but were truly ‘work’ in the sense that I hated almost every minute.
I’ve also been involved with businesses that may have made less money but were far easier, in that they were intrinsically rewarding. Thinking deeply about the business (80/20 analysis, getting rid of extraneous things that didn’t generate good business, eliminating clients that I didn’t like working with) have made the money come in faster.
So, in sum, fast and easy should be the goal of anyone in business. Why would you want a business that is hard work and generates slow money?
Having said all that, I think most people are ‘lazy’ only in the sense that they have reservations about investing time into something that may fail or be unenjoyable. They should take that reluctance as an indicator that they need to think hard about the business they want to do. If they would do it for free or cheap, that’s a good sign it’ll be easy (in that it’ll be rewarding.) And getting motivated to do something you love is a heck of a lot easier than getting motivated to do something you hate, no matter how great the material rewards.
Margie says
hello lisa
I have been visiting your website for about three months now. Im looking to start one of my own,but dont have the nerve yet. however, i will continue to read and learn until that moment comes. I really dig your style. You are so right about these people who want a quick fix to their laziness. I hope they stay out of the way and not give a bad taste to the good work of internet success for those who are willing to do the work. Im just learning to use the internet and I believe that i too can create the kind of success I want. Im so thankful for the honest and hard working people like you. you are an insperation to me.
Bob Foster says
Hi Lisa,
Thomas Edison said, âOpportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.â Sadly, todayâs society has created an entitlement mentality that feeds the lazy personâs thoughts to the point where they truly believe they can become rich without doing the hard work necessary to get there. Laziness by business people is something I have fought against for decades while trying to help businesses improve. Unfortunately, I fear it is something that will be with us forever.
So, donât apologize about the rantâmore of us should speak out about such things. Your blog is one of the few I subscribe to, because I enjoy your common sense approach. It is also obvious that you got where youâre at through a lot of hard work. Keep it up and keep us inspired.
Bob Foster
Hucky says
Lisa I get the same questions on my blog, my ex-boss told me many years ago, there are no secrets to making money just hard work
William says
Hi Lisa, I can understand your frustration towards people who want money but not willing to work for it. I met plenty of them in the MLM / Networking business !
There are many kind of people in this world and you cannot possibly please everyone neither can you expect people to reciprocate when you have help them so much. Different people do things with different agenda.
Just take a deep breathe and let go of your frustration, forget about those negative people, its just not worth it !
My answer to such people is : GO AND GET A LOTTERY ! MAYBE THEY MIGHT JUST BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BECOME RICH OVERNIGHT !
Cheers ! and have a wondering weeks ahead.
William