Those of us who spend our time teaching others how to make money online or be successful lay out the roadmap we took to becoming so successful, and tell others that following that path will make them successful.  But often-times we miss telling you one of the most important parts of becoming successful in anything you do.

Your determination to do so.

You have to be willing to take criticism, failure, stumbling blocks, and so much more for what it is.  Learn from them, work hard to overcome, and keep driving forward.

The harsh reality is that most bloggers who try to be successful will fail.  Because they aren’t really trying hard enough.

When your articles are written in broken English that’s difficult to understand, you need to work harder to fix it.  When you feel frustrated because no one is visiting your blog and you spam everyone with the same link over and over again, leading to an even bigger loss of readers, you need to step back, take a breath, and remember why you’re here.  Not for yourself, but for others.  And you should always feel humbled and thankful that others want to read your writing.

Today is day 27 in our series “Building A More Successful Blog in 30Days“, and I want you to focus on acting the part of a successful blogger.

If you act the part of someone you want to become, then you’ll eventually become that person.

If You Say So

“I’m not ‘big’ enough to do that yet…” – A phrase I hear so often, usually in response to advertising, product reviews, conferences, etc.

Yet, no matter how often I hear the words, I never really get used to them and I still find myself wanting to shake the person’s shoulders, hoping some sort of sense would magically float in through their ears.

The truth is that until you believe in yourself, you can’t expect others to believe in you. So, if you say you aren’t good enough or ‘big’ enough of a blogger to do something, people will just take your word for it. And, why shouldn’t they?

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before, and in a way this can totally be related to blogging as well. Please don’t misunderstand me, though. I am not telling you to lie or be deceitful and I’m certainly not telling you to get too cocky for your own good. What I am telling you is that perception is key – whether you are online or offline, it’s still the same.

Think about it. Take a look at the next stranger who walks by. What do they look like? How do they talk? What do they say? What overall feelings or thoughts do you have about that person based on nothing more than your observations?

Furthermore, if you were to choose between a well-groomed business person and someone in a ratty t-shirt with paint-splattered jeans and an awful body odor to do business with, who would you most likely choose (based solely on observations and first impressions)?

Figure Out Where You Want To Go

Whether you simply want to sell your product or become the next blogging billionaire, you need to figure out where it is you want to go before you can begin planning the trip. So, write it down. Choose your goals and write down exactly what they – what you – look like.

Dress For Success – Choosing Your Image

The image you choose to portray to your readers says a lot about you.  If you constantly talk about how you wish you could be as successful as another guy, then you’ll achieve it.  It’s when you start putting forth that image of success that you start becoming that image you’re portraying.

Every little detail matters.  The way you dress, what your blog looks like, whether you have a 1-800 number for your business, or whether you have an email address that says, sexybitch18@yahoo.com, or something more professional using your actual name.

Think before you do.  You’ll find you make fewer detrimental mistakes.

Talk The Talk

Stop putting a shining light on everything negative that happens.  Start being positive, and start patting yourself on the back.  There’s an old saying that says, “Sometimes you have to brag on yourself, because others won’t.”  This is true, unless you’re extremely famous and you give something to your readers.  Others do things for a reason, and most of the time that reason benefits themselves.

Check your grammar and spelling.  Double check if you know you make mistakes a lot.  Your writing is what everyone sees every day.  It is what distinguishes the difference between an expert and a novice.  If you want to be known as the expert, then you’ll have to write like one.

Walk The Walk

Probably the most important piece of advice that I give you is that successful people do.  They are thinkers, always coming up with creative ways to sell, market, and connect.  But they do more than simply come up with great ideas.

Successful people act on those ideas.  They act on them immediately instead of waiting around using excuses why it can’t be done yet.

The most important factor in whether you’ll be successful or not is if you’re the person who will act immediately upon your great ideas, and give the effort it takes to keep going when it gets hard.

You’re not a child anymore, your parents won’t do it all for you.  Take the initiative, work hard, always strive for more, and never give up.  You will succeed.

You hold the key to your success.  All you have to do is use it!