Make Money with an “Internet Fast” Thumbnail

Barbara Friedberg is editor-in-chief of Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance as well as a portfolio manager and MBA professor. She has an MBA in finance, BS in economics, and MS in Counseling. Learn to GET WEALTHY in MONEY & LIFE with Barb. Pick up her FREE eBook, 20 Minute Guide to Investing at her website.

Over the recent U.S.A. Thanksgiving holiday I was thrust into an “Internet Fast.” Let me explain. My mom and dad have NO INTERNET. Yes, you heard correctly, they have no internet access in their home! I knew it going in, but I chose to visit anyhow :). I figured that over the four day visit there would be ample time to slip out to an internet café to check email, Yakezie.com, and my blog. I WAS WRONG.

Before you begin to share my anxiety, I previously uploaded three posts for the time away, so I knew there would be fresh content on my site. Yet, that was small consolation for the internet withdrawal symptoms.

Thanksgiving Activities

Don’t feel too sorry for me as our schedule was FUN. El Carino, Jr. Carino, and I gathered together with sis, beau and the folks for a delicious Thanksgiving meal, trip to the theatre to see Young Frankenstein the musical, shopping at IKEA and the Mall. Evenings were spent in front of the folks’ giant TV watching movies. It was GREAT!

Saturday Night at Barnes and Noble

Jr. Carino went out with a cousin, mom was exhausted, so …… El Carino and I snuck out to Barnes and Noble for a quick on-line hook-up. While El Carino lost himself in the music, I focused, prioritized (think, Tim Ferriss 4 Hour Work Week), and got to work. I quickly and efficiently responded to comments, answered emails, and after a heavenly hour on-line went back for dinner.

From Wednesday noon until Saturday night at 6:00, I had NO INTERNET. That was three full days off-line! I didn’t get back on-line until Sunday at 3:00 PM!

What’s the Point?

Lest you think I did no “blog related” activities, read on. During all of the flights I read and was INSPIRED. My mind was not wedded to the World Wide Web, but free to roam! I wrote two articles for Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance and an outline for this article. But, I’m not done yet.

Show me the Money

I don’t know how it works. One of my favorite books ever, Managing Your Mind; The Mental Fitness Guide by Butler and Hope suggests that frequent breaks, changing activities, and breaking down tasks into small bits significantly increases productivity. Well, not only was my productivity bolstered, but so was my creativity.

Over many months I’ve pondered how to hone my market audience. After all, personal finance is a large canvas and much of my reading stressed the importance of providing content for niche markets. Additionally, my future personal finance products needed more focus than I had previously been able to muster.

During this vacation, not only did I come up with three solid articles (in minimal time), but I began creating a plethora of personal finance niche products. My months old quandary was solved during my internet fast.

How my internet fast led to money making strategies:

  • As most bloggers know, writing quality content leads to increased readership, which leads to revenue.
  • Creative solutions to personal finance problems are marketable.
  • Focused and undistracted thinking leads to revenue generating ideas as well as personal wealth in the form of serenity and calm.
  • A relaxed fresh mind yields boundless creativity. How that creativity is transformed into action is up to you.

Here’s the challenge:

Try an internet fast. Three days (and a locale away from the norm) seems reasonable. Don’t obsess or evaluate, just do it. Write in and share what you gained (or not). Who’s up for it?

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It’s 2015 and the bull market continues. Make a decision to be wealthy by taking control of your finances!