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Willie Crawford of Blueprint To Internet Marketing Success, invites you to reprint this article in your publication, ezine, or on your website.

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    The 900-Pound Monkey On Your Back
    Copyright © 2006, Willie Crawford

    Many years ago, I was a young, U.S. Air Force major, working an 
    office job Hawaii. This "seasoned," gruff-but-fatherly colonel 
    peered over my shoulder as I worked, and asked what I was doing. 
    I explained that I was writing a paper to help another major 
    document a problem for the general. He asked why, and I explained 
    that I was the expert on the topic.
    
    The lesson that colonel taught me that day changed my life, and 
    continues to help my online business grow. You see, I had allowed 
    the other major, who had a big challenge, simply pass it along to 
    me because it was something I felt very comfortable with. I had 
    TONS of other things I needed to get done, but I had allowed a 
    co-worker to get me to do his work.
    
    What that colonel explained to me that day was that all my life I 
    would have people come to me with "900-pound monkeys on their 
    backs." He explained that often there's nothing they would like 
    better than to take the monkey off their back and put it on 
    someone else's. He went on to explain that it's nice to help 
    people, but often DUMB to just let them dump their work on you.
    
    As I look around me in the online world everyday, I witness 
    people allowing others to take 900-pound monkeys that are on 
    their backs... and place those monkeys on other's backs. I see 
    this as a PROBLEM many times because in the process of agreeing 
    to take on someone else's problem, the "volunteer" often puts his 
    own projects on hold.
    
    I often hear those who've taken on others' problems complaining 
    about not having the time to finish their own projects. I 
    sometimes politely point out that it's their fault.
    
    Let's look at a few concrete examples...
    
    Often, I see people on discussion boards ask how to fix an html 
    problem, modify  a graphic, or perhaps improve on a webpage. 
    Sometimes, those of us who are very comfortable with doing these 
    things volunteer to take a minute and quickly fix the problem. 
    This only becomes a "900-pound monkey" when it takes longer to do 
    the favor than expected, or we get talked into making additional 
    changes or revisions.  Then a favor can quickly turn into a JOB 
    that you should be charging for!
    
    I often see us volunteering to do these favors for others as a 
    means of procrastinating. We have a major project that we really 
    should be working on, but it seems so massive that we look for 
    other things to do to prevent getting started.  Any convenient 
    excuse will do, and that excuse is often that someone else needs 
    our help.  The fact often is that OUR projects are what need our 
    attention :-)
    
    I'm NOT saying that you should not do favors for others. However, 
    you do need to fully define the scope of what you're volunteering 
    for. You need to confirm that you're not offering to transfer 
    that 900-pound monkey onto your back so that the other person can 
    go sit around on the beach. 
    
    Examples of things Internet marketers often volunteer for that 
    turn into 900-pound monkeys...
    
     - Fixing an html or script problem
     - Rewriting a salesletter
     - Designing a graphic
     - Fixing up a PDF file
     - Editing some audio
    
    The list could be a lot longer.
    
    Now here's the really strange thing about the things we often 
    volunteer to do for others. They are often things that we have 
    personally grown to consider "not the best use of our time." So 
    we have started outsourcing these things when they need doing in 
    our own businesses. Yet we often volunteer to do them for others. 
    
    As you go through your day, and find yourself feeling overwhelmed 
    with so many things to do, stop for a second and consider... if 
    part of the problem might not be that you're simply taking on too 
    many problems that aren't even yours. If that is the case, 
    learning to refuse that monkey, from time to time,  takes a lot 
    of weight off your shoulders! (Pun intended) 
    



    Writer's Resource Box:
    Willie Crawford serves as a consultant, mentor, and
    confidant to some of Internet marketing's top income
    earners. You can tap into his 9 years of online
    experience and million-dollar, success-creating advice
    at:  http://BlueprintToInternetMarketingSuccess.com




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