Confessions of a Time-Waster: My Plan to Turn Things Around

Time to Take the Next Step: My Challenge Begins

Today marks a turning point for me. I’m taking two big steps that I believe will help me move forward in my affiliate marketing journey. These two things go hand in hand, and they both start with a commitment: tracking my time and dedicating at least two hours a day to building my business. Let me break it down for you.

Step 1: Tracking My Time

You’ve probably heard it before - "You can’t improve what you don’t measure." If you want to get better at something, you first need to know where you stand. That’s why starting today, I’m keeping a log of how I spend my time. I’ll track everything, from "productive" business activities to "unproductive" things like binge-watching TV or endlessly scrolling through social media.

Step 2: Committing to Two Hours a Day

I’m setting a minimum of two hours per day for business activities. It may not seem like much, but trust me - it’s a worthy challenge for someone who’s spent more time on the "unproductive" side of things. And no, I won’t cheat by averaging it out. Four hours today doesn’t mean I get tomorrow off. This is about building daily consistency.

Baby Steps and Small Wins

I’ll be honest - I’ve tried time-blocking and journaling before, but I never fully followed through. I’d set up blocks of time, only to ignore them, and stare at a blank journal page wondering what to write. But it’s time to make small changes and stick with them.

This is where the concept of "Kaizen" comes in - a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement through small, consistent steps. It’s about getting 1% better every day. Baby steps are the way to go; trying to leap to the finish line only leads to overwhelm.


Confronting the Real Challenge: Myself

If I’m being real, I’ve struggled with this before. I’d buy new courses, dive into training, and then freeze when it came time to step out of my comfort zone and create content. Suddenly, I’d find myself back in front of the TV, beating myself up for another "failure" and all the money wasted.

Making the Time Count

Just doing two hours isn’t enough if I’m not spending that time wisely. I can’t just organize my inbox and call it a day. The focus needs to be on income-generating activities - things like driving traffic, creating content, and engaging with my audience. Dean Holland’s "Four Core Activities" from "The Iceberg Effect" outlines exactly what I need to be doing to succeed.


Your Turn: Set a Challenge for Yourself

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re interested in affiliate marketing and want to generate a consistent income from home. Why not join me in setting a small challenge for yourself this week?

Don’t plan too far ahead - start with a month, reassess, and build from there. The idea is to keep things manageable, so you don’t get overwhelmed and give up before you start.

Remember, small wins create momentum, and momentum leads to success over time.

Closing Thoughts: Let’s Do This Together

So, lace up your shoes, tidy your desk, and let’s make a start. Announce your commitment in the comments below. Knowing you’re accountable might be the push you need to stay on track when things get tough.

Thanks for being here and giving me some of your time. I appreciate you reading my thoughts, and I hope you’ve found some value in them.

Regards,

Sean Street

If you’re ready to dive deeper into affiliate marketing, grab a copy of "The Iceberg Effect" by Dean Holland. It’s a must-read, packed with valuable insights that could make all the difference. Click the image below to get your copy - it’s well worth your time.

P.P.S. Missed my previous post? No worries, you can catch up right here. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. If you enjoy what you’re reading, share the love and spread the word so others can join the journey too! 

About the author Sean Street

Sean Street is a digital marketing enthusiast with a varied background providing a well developed ability to relate to and get along with others.

Sean's ability to break complicated topics down into simple to understand language makes him an asset when it comes to his teaching.

  • Sean, I found this to be true for me as well as motivating. And a good read. I love the creative process of content creation. I found a great daily tracker I use and purchased another for the upcoming year. It is a work in progress.

    • Thanks Kate. I tried finding an app to do the time tracking, but I’m going back to a paper based option. The app didn’t quite do what I wanted it to do.

      Glad you liked my post. It’s still a little uncomfortable for me to be putting myself out there like this, but I’m sure it will get easier as I continue.

      Thanks again.

  • We all find ourselves in the place you are. Something I definitely need to work on. People will galdly follow you as you keep this up. The pictures really caught my attention as well.

  • Hey Sean! Love your commitment to tracking time and setting those two dedicated hours—such a smart move! Those small, consistent steps really add up over time. I’m curious, what specific activities are you prioritizing in those two hours? And I’m definitely considering joining your challenge—let’s hold each other accountable! Here’s to making those small wins count and moving our affiliate journeys forward together!

    • Hi Alison. Thanks for reading my post.

      I’m starting small – taking baby steps.

      At this stage, my only real priority is to make sure I put in that two hours minimum doing something productive towards my goal of earning an income online. So that would look like getting 2 hours of training videos done, or writing another blog post, posting something on my Facebook page, or something similar.

      On Monday, I had a pretty productive day. I managed to get my 14 emails for my introductory series tidied up and set up in Aweber, so they’re ready to go, I got another couple of blog posts written and published, and I spent a while going through Quora and Reddit looking for opportunities to contribute.

      It felt pretty good to get that much done in a day.

      Every day this week, I’ve managed to get at least that two hours of activity, so I’m off to a decent start.

      Tried an app for my time tracking, but I think I’m going back to the good old piece of paper and a pen.

      Thanks again for reading my post. I’m glad you liked it.

  • Hi Sean,

    I love your commitment to tracking your time and dedicating those two hours each day to your affiliate marketing journey! It’s so true that measuring our time can lead to significant improvements, and I appreciate your honesty about previous challenges.

    The concept of “Kaizen” is a fantastic approach—focusing on small, consistent actions is a much more sustainable way to build momentum. I can relate to the struggle of stepping out of your comfort zone, but it sounds like you’re setting yourself up for success this time around with clear goals.

    I’m excited to take on a challenge alongside you! I’m going to commit to tracking my own time and focusing on income-generating activities as well. Let’s keep each other accountable and share our progress!

    Looking forward to seeing how we both grow in the coming weeks. Thanks for sharing your journey!

    Best,
    Ezequiel Wells

  • Hi Sean,

    Admitting where time has slipped and committing to change takes real courage. The two-hour focus with a Kaizen approach is so practical, and prioritizing income generating activities is a great reminder to stay intentional. I’m excited to see your journey and might take up this challenge too. Thanks for sharing!

    Meredith

  • This is so relatable! Tracking time and setting consistent hours might seem small, but they’re actually huge game-changers! I totally get the “getting stuck on the unproductive side” of things—I’ve definitely had my fair share of Netflix marathons instead of, you know, actually working. 😅

    I love that you’re taking the Kaizen approach! Small steps are where the real magic happens. Just 1% better each day totally adds up, and it’s so much less daunting than diving in with a giant to-do list. Plus, you’re not alone with the whole “buy the course, then freeze” thing; it’s like that comfort zone just sneaks up and traps us all! 😂

    Thanks for the inspiration—I think I’ll set a mini-challenge for myself this week, too. Looking forward to seeing how this new routine works out for you!

  • Hi Sean – Guilty as charged! I have often not used my time wisely. It is endless scrolling, taking too much of a break when I really don’t need it or maybe it’s just general laziness. I accept your challenge. You like the idea of documenting your time. That is a scary thing as that will involve accountability… however, why not? Thanks for the motivation and have a great week!

  • {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
    >