It’s 4:46 am here in Toronto, and after 3 and a half hours of laying in bed with my eyes closed I have given up on trying to fall asleep. I’ve been a night owl since I was a child, always making a fuss when it came time for my mom to put my sister and I to bed, and as an adult I go through these periods of insomnia usually caused by the obstacle of not having enough hours in the day to get things done – even when I’m unemployed and at home. It’s a known fact that excessive amounts of time in front of a computer can put serious stress on your eyes, and cause your brain to have troubles “shutting down” at the end of the night and I’m sure most bloggers and Internet marketers can attest to that, especially if you haven’t reached the 4 hour work week pillar in your online career as of yet. I know we’ll all get there eventually…
The quest to make money online is an addiction. It goes hand in hand with crack, small children and Pringles – once you pop you can’t stop! I bet every one of you can remember that first moment when the veil was lifted, and you came to realize that beneath all the sales hype and push-button promises there was an actual industry of people making a living online, using the same business foundations and marketing fundamentals you were taught in the real world – and that these people were cashing in on something very real, and very possible. That moment when you discovered search engine optimization and what a “spider” was, or the very first time you heard about affiliate marketing and how people make an income promoting products that they don’t even own – it was a beautiful moment indeed!
I can also bet that once the blinders were removed you didn’t sleep for a few days, or months…
I just came up with an amazing idea for a niche product – Dealing With Insomnia: An Internet Marketer’s Guide. Included will be audio tapes of CPU noise, or the soothing sounds of a keyboard typing away with the occasional instant messaging notification. Joint venture anyone?
For real though, I need to snap out of this going-to-bed-at-all-kinds-of-crazy-ass-hours slump that I’m in. Not only is it hindering my productivity and time management, but it’s also not good for my mental and physical health. Regulated sleep is vital for any home business person and is just as important as having a good accountant and getting fresh air on a daily basis – which is another area where I’m lacking. Yes I’ve actually made enough money this month to cover my half of rent and call Visa’s collection department with a payment confirmation number, but at what cost? I’m going to bed between 4 and 7 am and usually waking up between 10 am and 3 pm on a semi-regular basis.
Not good.
Time for a much needed change. Valerian Root Extract here I come!
Cheers,
Elijah