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If you are engaged online, you might find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed. I know I do. If you are trying to build a business, stand up a personal website, or just grow your social media engagement, there is no doubt you will ultimately come across one (if not all) of the 7 deadly doubts of building online.

1. You have no shot

You look around and see people with fully built out websites running like well oiled machines. You see beautiful responsive design with functionality you don’t even understand. Then you go back and look at your piddly little blog and naturally feel overwhelmed.

How can you ever get anywhere near the others? You have so much work to do.

WHAT TO DO

Chip away at it. You’re never going to get to the end goal unless you start chipping away a little at a time. Think of a massive tree, it takes time and many chops to knock it down.

The good thing is, EVERYONE has a shot. The online world provides low barrier to entry and a level playing field for all.

2. You won’t be heard amongst all of the noise

There is no doubt there are probably thousands of people in the same niche you want to pursue. If you need proof, take a look at the business section of iTunes podcasts and you’ll see an over abundance of entrepreneur interview podcasts. The market is saturated.

There is a tremendous amount of noise online, and it grows louder every single day.

WHAT TO DO

This is an easy one. Be yourself!

It is really the only differentiator you will find. Many people talk about the same thing. It is the way the message is delivered, and the person behind the message that truly matters.

3. You are way behind everyone else

You are always going to feel behind. If you have been online for any period of time, you will come across other people that make you feel like you are way behind.

Truth is, you are.

WHAT TO DO

Deal with it.

There is a natural timeline and everyone falls somewhere on that timeline. Some are ahead and some are behind. Just know that you are somewhere on that line and each day you move further along. Just remember, there are those that are behind you too. That is important.

4. You are moving too slow

You see others launching new products, posting new content every day, and interacting on numerous social media channels. They appear to be everywhere, at all times. Yet you struggle to consistently post a single 300-500 word blog post weekly.

WHAT TO DO

First of all, stop trying to race everyone. As long as you consistently provide value to your audience, everything will be ok. You don’t have to be everywhere at once. Focus on one thing and do it well. Do it at a pace that fits your life and does not cause undue and unhealthy stress.

5.   You are doing it all wrong

Contrary to what you might hear, there is no magic formula. You will hear plenty of advice and “expert” tips but there is no particular way you need to do things. You will also hear plenty of success stories that will make you second guess your approach.

WHAT TO DO

Explore your own style. Figure out what works for you. Figure out what you enjoy and what you can get done given your current workload.

Explore different ways to provide value. Are you a writer? Blog more. Are you talkative? Start a podcast. Are you animated and love to act? Go with video.

Find your best delivery method, then learn everything about it and dive into it. Figure out how you can make it work for you, then go with it.

Remember, if it is something you truly enjoy doing, who cares how you do it!

There are a number of people making money online, but there is a vast majority of us grinding away trying to figure it out. Don’t feel like you are not worthy just because you are not raking in cash like a select few.

6. You are inferior

You come across all of these amazing people online. It’s natural to feel intimidated and anoint them rock star status.

WHAT TO DO

Remember, these people are just like you. They put on their pants just like you. They have families, they have worries, and they have struggles too. And, they started out just like you.

7. You are lost

What do you do next?

You want to create a blog. You want to start a podcast. You want to sell your product, be a coach, and write a book. You want to develop an app. You get the idea.

You can quickly become overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. While it is a beautiful thing, it can also be a curse.

WHAT TO DO

This goes back to taking it one step at a time. You can not do everything at once. Pick something and do it well. Get that one thing up and stable, then move on to the next. It’s important to note that it does not need to be complete. It merely needs to be stable and providing value to others.

Everyone feels overwhelmed and lost from time to time. Stay focused on the exact task at hand and try not to get distracted by the periphery.

5TIL

Here are the 5 Things I Learned that are also discussed in this week’s episode…

1. Breaking Bad dolls have a place…Toys R Us may not be that place.

2. Buddy Press can help turn your website into a forum/community. Check it out!

3. Prezi is a nice alternative to boring PowerPoint

4. TwitPic finally died Oct 25, 2014.

5. Facebook outages can be EXPENSIVE!

What doubts have crept into your mind? What are you struggling with while you balance family, career, and your side hustle? Share your thoughts in the comments below.