Earning a Living Online Demands Action

Successful content creators earning money online default toward action and seize nearly any available opportunity to advance.

Admittedly, it has become almost cliché to adapt lessons from the venerated Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, but nonetheless, that is precisely what I am doing in this article. So, on to the quote.

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

The Essence

Very often in life, business, and content creation, taking action is vital. In the context of "The Art of War," this concept comprises at least five ideas.

Default to action. Sun Tzu encouraged an action-oriented or proactive outlook. The combatant should not passively await opportunities but plan, move, and produce them. Action is not blind, but rather, it originates from a plan, but it is also not inaction. The plan must be executed.

Adapt to opportunities or changes. Circumstances change, and opportunities are revealed. Your job is to be flexible enough to respond —to seize the opportunity at hand.

Generate momentum. Acting, reacting, and seizing opportunities collectively create momentum. One small victory leads to more chances for success.

Accumulate advantage. As you seize opportunities, they lead to new and unexpected possibilities. Success begets success. This compounding effect shifts the balance in your favor.

Take a position of leadership. Actions and opportunities expose weaknesses in your enemy and gaps in the marketplace.

Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Success

When we consider Sun Tzu's ideas, we may see similarities to the concept of a virtuous cycle or a creator flywheel. A content creator creates sustainable success from a series of small but interconnected actions to build momentum, i.e., "Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

To make your own virtuous cycle, try these tenets.

Repetition — Sustainable success in any endeavor —especially content creation— rarely results from one major breakthrough. Rather, it is the accumulation of many consistent, smaller efforts.

Concentrate on steady, quality content releases, whether that release is a podcast episode, blog post, or video. Every piece of content you publish is another push on your flywheel, another opportunity seized, gradually building up your audience and your potential for revenue.

Initial effort — When you first begin pushing your content creation flywheel, it can feel like you are pouring enormous effort into something that hardly moves. This stage demands persistence.

Momentum — As with Sun Tzu's quote, "Opportunities multiply as they are seized," each additional push builds on your previous efforts, gradually making the flywheel easier to turn. Momentum starts to pick up as your accumulated work begins to pay off.

Compounding effort — Over time, the flywheel's rotation becomes self-reinforcing. Success breeds more success, with each turn of the wheel adding exponential value. "Opportunities multiply as they are seized."