Paid the Cost

Well not really, but it is pretty boring… and weird. Think about it. You spend all day working on different web sites alone at your computer. The only social interaction you get is via skype and twitter. None of your friends can ever hang out with you because they always have to work early the next morning. Everyday is a holiday to you. I know some of you would love to tell your boss to suck it, but think about it for a few minutes.

Transitioning

When you make the transition to being a full time affiliate chances are you aren’t going to know what to do with yourself. You go from working 40+ hours per week at an office with co workers to working pretty much around the clock at your own leisurely pace anywhere from 40-90 hours per week. Soon you’ll be staying up until the wee hours of the morning and then sleeping all day. You will have bags under your eyes to go along with your bags of money. Then you have to worry about gaining weight. Sleeping all day, eating junk, and sitting on the computer all night is not how most people stay fit.

I myself am still going through a decompressing period where I am getting used to not having an actual job to attend at a certain time. I feel like I am on vacation and like I eventually will need to go back to work. It’s a really weird experience. Since anyone started working they have had this boulder set on their shoulders to remind them that the fun must end on “this” day at “this given time”. It’s not something you can just switch off. Things suddenly seem different. Monday feels like Saturday and vice versa. You really get to take a good look at the rest of the world wasting their entire lives just so they can do what they want once they are old as hell.

Productivity

What about productivity? Doesn’t it increase if you go full time? Not really. Unless you have a solid work ethic and great self discipline chances are you wont be any more productive than you were before the switch. When you have a real job that takes up most of your time you tend to value your down time much more. An evening alone at the computer used to result in 5-10 great pieces of content, some good links, and a lot getting accomplished. Now that you have every day free to do what you want you tend to get less done in a longer amount of time. You feel as if you have plenty of time to do everything, and procrastination takes hold. Without realizing it you can become a lazy affiliate whose earnings are dwindling.

Structuring

Most people need structure in their lives. It is pretty hard to make yourself sit at a computer and get things done when it is 75 degrees and sunny outside. It is also easy to not stick to a schedule and wake up at different times every day. Self discipline is key to making your new life work. Here are a few links to help anyone who may be struggling with self discipline.

• Self Discipline
• Starting Routines

You will need to focus on this or you may wake up one day to find that you’ve achieved nothing in the past 6 months thanks to a lackadaisical attitude that has slowly overtaken your work ethic.

Final Thought

Those of you contemplating quitting your jobs I urge you all to try it (only if you won’t go broke). Just be ready for the drastic change in your thought process and the way you look at the rest of the world.