You may have heard that more than 90% of the people that try to create some cash flow online never make anything and they give up. I don't know if that's true, but I think it probably is. I also believe that one of the most important factors in success is *not* giving up. So why do some people give up?

I'll give you two reasons why people give up. First, there's the obvious reason that's right on the surface in plain view. It's *HARD*. Don't believe anyone that tells you there's an easy way to make bucks online. There's not. It's hard. And the hardest part is making the first few dollars.

This means you may have to work very hard for a long time without getting much in return. Most people don't want to do that. They work hard for a little while, they get nothing for it, and they give up in frustration. So why do some people keep going?

This brings me to the second reason that people give up. This one is deep down under the surface. People don't really give up because it's hard.

People give up because they don't have a good enough reason to keep going.

If you're going to succeed, you need to have a *good* reason for working so hard for so little for so long.

When I first started online, I worked for four months before I made any profit at all (some people go much longer). But I kept going for so long without getting anything because I had a good reason. In fact, I had several good reasons.

Many people, if you ask them why they're interested in internet marketing, say that they want to make money. But that's not good enough. Money is only useful if you do something useful with it. You need to know *why* you want it.

Everyone has a different reason, but generally I think there are two good reasons to keep going.

First, you want to improve your quality of life. This may or may not be good enough to keep you going. If your quality of life right now is miserable, then you'll probably be highly motivated to succeed to improve upon that. Because you're unsatisfied with your quality of life every single day.

Or perhaps you're afraid that you're going to lose your job or that you won't have enough to live on when you retire in a few years. Fear can be very motivating. But only if it's a real fear right now, and not just something vague in the distant future.

On the other hand, if your quality of life right now is ok, but you just want to make it better, then you may not be motivated enough. If you have a decent job and make decent money, but you just want a nicer car and a nicer house, then that might not keep your fire burning long enough. Because things wouldn't be bad if you quit.

But there's a better reason that will keep you working hard until you succeed. Strive to do something meaningful with your life. Something that's meaningful to *you*. Something that will fill you up and make you glad to be alive everyday. That's much more powerful than a nice car.

Perhaps you want to send your kids to the best schools. Or you want to be able to take care of your parents if their health fails. Maybe you want to build shelters for homeless families.

Or maybe you just want to have the time to write a novel. Or you want to spend more time with your kids before they're all grown up.

These things will do more than just improve the quality of your life. Much more than a nice house.

So if you don't already know what you're going to do with your earnings online, then you should give it some thought.

Why are you doing it? If you have a good answer, then you'll almost certainly succeed.

P.S. This philosophy is really about succeeding at *anything*.

About the author: Dave Brown is a self-taught marketer and software developer. He also publishes the uncommon and uniquely original newsletter on making the most of your life - A Fresh Perspective. You can learn more at http://www.dave-brown.com