Where would we be without electric light? Where would we be without cars? Where would we be without pasteurized process american cheese food????? All of these things were invented by people with Drive, Perseverance and Tenacity. I love me some Kraft Singles that’s for sure.
I was just reading a great article on Drive over at Lee’s Shizzle. In this article he talks about the drive that he used to complete a daunting task when he was a kid. I started to comment but the gremlins in my computer deleted half of my comment. It worked out well because it prompted this post!
In most of our “Heroes” and “Role models” that we have today (I’m not including sports figures for this argument, they are a mixed bunch) we can see Drive. My personal definition of drive is that dogged determination or hard headedness that makes people great. Think about your heroes and see if they had Drive. I’ll bet that they did.
Referencing the first paragraph, Thomas Edison tried 10000 different ideas for the light bulb before one worked. Now lights are a bit different but that was a huge jumping off point. Edison never finished school. Edison did whatever he had to to invent things that revoultionized the world. He had Drive.
Henry Ford didn’t invent cars, yet if you ask who invented the car, I would bet more than 90% of people would say Ford. He didn’t invent the car, just a way to manufacture cars better. He poured all of his time, money, blood, sweat, and tears into making the Ford Motor Company a success. Like Fords or not, companies all over the world use the basic assembly line techniuqes that he first put to use. He had Drive as well.
If you haven’t heard of Kraft Singles you have been living under a rock in a deep dark hole. Ok Maybe not the deep dark hole but still. I am not going to get into the history of processed cheese but it is delicious. Wikipedia has a great article about it here. This cheese was patented by James L Kraft in 1916. In the United States at least, the most common type of cheese on a cheeseburger is the American style processed cheese food. James Kraft built one of the biggest food companies in the world, and one of the biggest selling products that they have is Kraft Singles. He had Drive.
Now, after a brief history lesson, some introspection. If you are reading this there is a good chance that you have a blog or would like one. I have read that most blogs don’t survive past 3 months. People who run these just do not have the Drive necessary to succeed and be a survivor. (BTW I like Survivor too…Go Boston Rob). It is easy to give up and not push past the hard part. When it gets hard to keep up with your blog that is when you have to kick in the Drive and get your lazy butt back in the saddle.
There are those whose blogs are failing and they say “But I have Drive! Why isn’t my blog working?” Well, I think I have answers. How much time are you putting into your blog? It is a business for all intents and purposes. I put at least 3 hours per day into it and most days more like 6. When I am doing design and WordPress stuff it was 8-10 hours per day. James over at the infopreneur says he has spent over 600 hours in the 4 months that his blog has been active. It takes time.
Lee has another post about his site being 6 months old and how it is finally taking off. You have to get past that 3 month barrier to make it work. This blog has been online since December 14, 2009. I started to learn about how to actually blog and made the jump to my own .com name January 4 2010. I consider that the true start of my blog now. I have completed 2 months of posts and redesigns. I have to find it in myself to keep Driving and blow through this month and into the next. I can do it, this is just way too much fun.
More questions to ask if your blog isn’t working. Are you actively posting? Are you keeping new content out there? Are you visiting other sites and commenting? Are you promoting your blog? Right now in Twitter I have 193 followers. I also am in 5 lists that extend whatever I tweet out by about 100. that means right now if tweet about this post it could be seen by nearly 300 people. How many of them can I get to click over? Ideally 300. Realistically, I don’t know. I just am going to keep posting and hope for the 300.
Finally, a simple maxim you have probably read a million times. Put in the work and reap the benefits. It would be nice to make millions with a 4 hour workweek but it isn’t going to happen. It takes work. It takes Drive. It takes Perseverance and Tenacity. Stick with it and you can be one of the successful blogs that keep working past the 3 month mark.
I will be there cruising past 3 months and giving that wall the bird right around Easter.
If you are reading this you are awesome! And you, know if you feel like saying something, please do so in the comments!
Later
Justin
