1722: Is It Time for You to Stop Dabbling and Get Serious by Steve Pavlina on Entrepreneurship Advice

[00:00:01] If someone told Charles and Melanie that they would start a channel with crazy tasks together, so really crazy, five days on a single island, a zip line on a hook, a million views, a wall with a big-and-suit jump up and fallschirm springing in Egypt, that would never have believed them. But that's the thing about Tinder. It leads you to places you never expected. Where it leads you to. It starts with a swipe. Tinder.

[00:00:30] This is Optimal Work Daily. Is It Time for You to Stop Dabbling and Get Serious by Steve Pavlina of StevePavlina.com If you want to start on a serious career path, don't even think about giving up during the first year. Very little happens during the first year in terms of results. Most businesses aren't even profitable in their first two years. It takes them that long just to become sustainable, even for fairly small businesses.

[00:00:57] So many would-be pro-bloggers give up in their first six months. They get bored, lose interest, or get a better idea for some other venture. I see them change topics or URLs and start over once or twice a year. After five years of this kind of dabbling, they've still barely gotten anywhere. They keep erasing what little progress they've made so they never have the chance to develop anything serious and enduring. When it comes to building any sort of business, either online or offline,

[00:01:26] this dabbling approach is a bit ridiculous because the real payoff from business comes from consistency over a period of years. It takes time to build a following and attract customers, develop products and services, gain links and search engine placement, generate referrals, develop good business sense, acquire expertise, and figure out how to generate income from your work in ways that feel congruent to you.

[00:01:50] It took 25 months from when I started blogging to pass 10k a month in income from it, which happened in 2006. In the first six months, however, my blog only made $167 total, mostly from Amazon's affiliate program. If I gave up during that time and started over, I'd never have enjoyed the long-term benefits of this path. Most professional bloggers, however, give up well before they reach this point. They see weak financial

[00:02:17] results during their first year, just as I did, but they conclude it's not worth continuing if they haven't made it sustainable by then. In addition to earning abundant income from blogging, mostly from affiliate and joint venture deals these days, blogging has also created opportunities in other areas, like speaking. I have talks coming up in Las Vegas and Berlin, getting a book published, ongoing royalties, coaching, free travel, amazing social connections, etc. If you want to generate serious income and enjoy

[00:02:46] an abundant lifestyle, it's crucial to get past the dabbling phase. For starters, the incessant dabblers are perpetually broke. They keep giving up and changing their minds well before they otherwise would begin reaping the long-term benefits of sustainability and growth. Before they even have a chance to experience serious results, they pull the plug. The truth is that you can generate serious income from just about

[00:03:09] any form of creative work—writing, audio, video, art, music, programming, design, etc. Others who came before you have already made millions from these paths, but most of them didn't get very far in their first 6-12 months. It's the ones who stuck with it for 5-plus years that are reaping the biggest benefits. They're builders, not dabblers. A pattern I've noticed in my most successful friends in business

[00:03:34] is that at some point they made the decision to get serious about their work. They decided to stop dabbling, stop drifting, and stop coasting. They committed to a particular path and doubled down on it, intending to stick with it for years so they could really master it. Consequently, those same people are enjoying serious results. Meanwhile, the dabblers are still looking for that next get-rich-quick idea that can grant similar results within a matter of months. If you ask your friends what kind of work

[00:04:01] you'll be doing 5 years from now, what will they say? If you're not sure, go ask some of them. If they give you answers that you don't like, or if their answers are inconsistent, why is that? Are you broadcasting that you're a dabbler? Do you have a history of dabbling? Are you being wishy-washy and non-committal? If you think you're committed, but the people around you don't perceive that commitment, you're probably not committed. If you're on a strong and successful path, the people in your life will

[00:04:28] likely be able to predict what field you'll be in 5 years from now. It will be the field you're committed to right now. If you want to build up some abundant income streams and enjoy the long-term benefits of stick-to-itiveness, pick an interest that you expect you'll still be passionate about 5 years from now. I picked personal growth since I'd already been passionate about this field for more than a decade before I started blogging, so I had good cause to believe I'd still be into it 5 years later. It's now 8 plus years since I started blogging and I'm still passionate about

[00:04:58] personal growth. I still love the work I do and have no desire to quit and switch to something else. The specific details of my interests do change from year to year, but my core passion remains largely the same. If I'd made a less conscious choice or more impulsive choice 8 years ago, I might very well have dumped it within the first year. Don't overplay today's fleeting interests when you think about making a serious commitment to a career path. Look instead to the interests you had

[00:05:26] 5 years ago that you're still seriously interested in today. Chances are you'll still be maintaining those interests 5 years from now. If you're going to have these interests anyway, why not bet bigger on them and commit yourself to mastery? Doing something for a long time isn't the same thing as committing to mastery. I've been into disc golf for about as long as I've been into personal growth, 20 plus years, but I never committed to improving disc golf. I never got serious about it. Even though I

[00:05:52] play disc golf most weekends with friends, I'm probably no better at it than I was 5 years ago. My skills hit a plateau and I've stayed there for years. For me, disc golf is a hobby that I enjoy for fun and I haven't cared to improve at it thus far. If you're okay being no better off in your career 5 years from now, then there's no need to commit to mastery. Keep dabbling or keep doing what you're doing without making a serious commitment. But if it's not very palatable to you to stagnate or if you

[00:06:20] desire much stronger results 5 years from now, then it's time to think about getting serious. If you want to dabble for the sake of exploration, that's fine, but don't pretend you've chosen a career path. You'll only look foolish when every 6 months you're telling your friends that your career path has changed yet again. Know that you're exploring and do it to learn. Then when you're ready to get serious, commit to building something that endures and don't even think about quitting during the first year.

[00:06:46] Rule of thumb, if you can't make a serious 5-year commitment to a given career path, it's not your path. You just listened to the post titled Is It Time For You To Stop Dabbling And Get Serious? by Steve Pavlina of StevePavlina.com. What does it take to lead like a superhero? Find out on the Superhero Leadership Podcast, hosted by Marvel's former CEO and legendary turnaround expert,

[00:07:15] Peter Cuneo. Each week, Peter is joined by top performers from business, media, and beyond. Leaders who have mastered the art of impact, resilience, and vision. Together, they explore Peter's 32 leadership essentials, revealing what it really takes to rise, inspire, and lead with purpose. Check out the episode with Michael Fabiano, president of ESG News, who offers candid insights on how leaders can run towards

[00:07:43] challenges and drive innovation in resistant cultures, embrace lifelong learning to stay ahead of disruption, and create environments where bold ideas thrive. If you want to level up your leadership, this is your blueprint. Search superhero leadership wherever you get podcasts. And thank you to Steve. He is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development

[00:08:07] bloggers in the world with his work attracting more than 100 million visits to StevePavlina.com. He has written more than 1,500 articles and recorded many audio programs on a broad range of self-help topics, including productivity, relationships, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. Conscious growth has been the central focus of his life. He studies what it means to grow and how we can deliberately invite, process, and integrate new growth experiences.

[00:08:34] So come by StevePavlina.com for a lot more and to show him some support. It would really mean a lot because Steve was one of the very first authors that we narrated back in 2015. But that should do it for today. Hope you're having a great week so far. I thank you, of course, for being a subscriber to the show and for sharing it with others when you get a chance. And I will see you right back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Hope you've got a chance. Bye.