Perseverance. Tenacity. Stick-to-it-iveness. Patience. All these words are driving at the same thing: DONT GIVE UP.

Now I dont particularly like negative statements, so let me reword this. Keep on keeping on. Hang in there. Keep on truckin. There, thats better, because you see, I want to be your favorite cheerleader.

I want to point out to you what youre doing right so that you can keep on doing more of it. I want to show you that you already have the qualities you need to make it (and make it big!) in a successful home business.

Thats right! You already possess the tools that you need. If you didnt, you wouldnt be reading this article! You already have desire, vision and initiative. You want more out of life, you see the possibilities for yourself, and you are taking action.

I applaud you!

Now, my job as your self-appointed personal cheerleader is to encourage you to keep on picking up those tools. I want to entice you to fan the flames of your desire, sharpen your vision and to keep taking regular action. I wish to show you what to expect so that you dont go running away before your dreams reach you.

How many of you out there have ever joined a gym or started an exercise program? Well, starting a profitable home business is a bit like starting an exercise program.

When you first start out, your enthusiasm is jumping, expectations are high, visions of a beautiful body and ripply muscles are dancing in your head, so its off to the gym you go. Desire, vision, action.

Now its time to get down to business.

The muscles are out of shape, so you have to work up gradually as your body learns to handle the extra usage. Theres a period of adaptation when the muscles seem to be crying out, Bad idea, Man!

Youre sore all over. Youre feeling more tired than usual because youre body is burning more energy than before, but youre not getting any extra sleep to make up for it. And whats worse, youre not seeing any results. In fact, you look even flabbier than before!

Whats wrong with this picture?

There is nothing wrong with this picture. It is part of the PROCESS!

Body fat becomes flabbier before it is actually burned off and converted to muscle. As you keep on working out, the soreness soon goes away. Your stamina steadily improves. Your body gets sleepy earlier because youre burning more energy, so you get a little more sleep than usual. And you keep on working out. Then comes that glorious day when you start to see your results.

Ahhh, such a satisfying feeling.

See, you did it! Now, even if you didnt stick with it for very long, you witnessed the process. You are, in fact, capable of producing the desired results. If you dont want to go the distance, well, you wont get to where you want to go. Its as simple as that. But dont tell yourself you dont have what it takes. This is simply not true.

This gives you an idea of what to expect when you start your own business.

Just as your body fat becomes flabbier before it is actually burned off and converted to muscle, your mind may need to grapple with old negative, flabby thinking patterns while it learns how to convert those thoughts to a new, more positive framework.

Mental work is very taxing, even more so than physical work. Your brain might feel a little sore from the extra work-out, and you might find yourself needing a little more sleep than usual, at least for a while. Most people dont get enough sleep as it is, so a little indulgence while you temporarily catch a few more zzzz is probably a good idea.

Lets try another analogy. How many of you have ever had to pump water from a well?

Starting a profitable home business is like priming a pump. You feel thirsty and want something to drink, so you picture a big jug of nice, cool water, and you head for the well. Desire, vision, action.

When you first start to pump for water, you pump and you pump, but nothing comes out. There is nothing wrong with the pump. This, too, is part of the process. Knowing this, you keep on pumping and pumping.

Finally, the water reaches the top of the well and it starts to trickle out. Pretty soon, all you have to do is keep applying slow, steady pressure, and the water just comes gushing out!

It's like that with building a business, too.

Remember that we are ENTREPRENEURS, my friend. Pioneers, if you will. We are not the 9 to 5 employees who do a straight, mediocre exchange of time for money. In this business, 95% of what we do will SEEM like wasted energy. This is an illusion!!

ALL of our activity is part of the process, and it will pay off handsomely if we just don't give up.

I know Ive not provided you with any new earth-shattering information. What I HAVE done is to remind you of things that you already know but may have temporarily forgotten.

Also, I hope that Ive given you an analogy that might just be the one that catches, the one that resonates with you, the one that you can readily call to mind in a moment of need, and most especially, the one that will cause you to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to keep on keepin on! This is my fervent desire.

And the crowd roars,
Prime that pump, Baby! Rah, rah, rah!!
Prime that pump, Baby! Sis, Boom, Bah!!!
(Stay tuned for Part 2.)