As an online marketer, I have found (the hard way) that getting distracted can cost me valuable time and can take me days to get back on track. Distractions will kill your productivity and only through self-discipline and focus can you work the plan you have in place for your business.

Distractions come in many forms. They can range from immediate temporary distractions such as a dog barking or the phone ringing to larger distractions that can result in stopping your productivity for days.

For example: One day you run across a site that sells the same type of product that you do, only they use a different sales approach. After reading their material, you realize that it is very convincing and you begin to doubt your own material. Even though your sales have been good, you wonder if you are on the right track or if you are making the right decisions. You begin to consider making changes to your own site and sales material. Then you realize that your focus has just shifted and now you are becoming confused.

This type of distraction can be hard to overcome because now you're confused and questions are swirling around in your head. At one time you had a specific plan developed and now you're indecisive and don't know which way to turn. This type of distraction can cost you days of work and hours of non-productive frustration.

It is good to be open to change and to be aware of what folks in your industry are doing, but its also very important to stay as focused as possible and to stick with your plan. Don't easily sway or change your mind until you've given an idea thorough consideration. The Internet is changing constantly and change will be a constant factor, however there is a difference between changing with the trends and changing your focus due to a distraction.

I was fortunate enough one evening to be passing by the television while the channel was on Biography. They were interviewing Oprah Winfrey. She and the interviewer were discussing her success and she made the comment that comparing herself to other folks in her business always made her take a step backward from her goal. Her words made me realize that even highly successful people experience this.

I thought about what she said for several days and decided to take what I learned as an opportunity to sit down and decide once and for all what my direction is going to be. I made a plan and put my "blinders" on and went to work. Since this time, my sales have dramatically increased and my time has been much better spent. I still study the market and make constant change, but its only after evaluating the idea and making sure it goes along with my plan. Besides this, it feels better having a direction decided on and a plan that is currently, without distraction, being worked to it's fullest.

I hope you, as well, take this opportunity to think thoroughly about your own direction and what possible distractions may be getting or have gotten in your way. Decide your plan, focus and never quit!