The creator economy is booming and more people than ever are turning to content creation as a source of income. But what happens when there are too many options?<ul><li>With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.</li><li>There are just so many ways to make money online, through online media sites, platforms like Youtube and Instagram, blogs, newsletters, corporate clients, and more.</li><li>Each opportunity comes with trade-offs: barriers to entry, difficulty, potential income, consistency, and preference. These trade-offs are all different for different people.</li></ul>

Too Many Options

The problem is that with so many options, it’s difficult to choose one that works for you. Moreover, once you start struggling on your journey to become a YouTuber or start a successful newsletter, it can be tempting to jump ship and dip your toes into another stream of income. Instead of putting all of your energy into building a successful business, you end up spending most of your time wondering whether you made the right decision.

The Opportunity Cost Of Choice

Opportunity costs subtract from the satisfaction that we get out of what we choose, even when what we choose is terrific. The more options there are to consider, the more attractive features of these options are going to be reflected by us as opportunity costs

Take some time to weigh and measure your options. Decide, based on your skill set, preferences, and practical information like barriers to entry, potential income ceilings, which kinds of work suit you best, and — this is really important, especially when it comes to writing — whether that type of work will make it easier to pursue other projects down the line. Then, prioritize your direction on that basis. You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.

How to Overcome the Paradox of Choice: Plan

Persistence is key.  Everyone from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toz7XEsSH_o">YouTuber Ali Abdaal</a>, who made 4.7 million dollars last year after 7 years of building his content creation business, or <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/99838/14-brilliant-authors-who-didn-t-succeed-until-way-after-30">Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison</a>, who didn’t publish her first novel until she was 39, says the same thing: to be successful, you’ve got to stick with it. Not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for years, maybe even decades. Once you choose which path you’re going to take, commit to it for as long as it takes

Follow Through

This is closely tied to number two. The only way to achieve your goals is through persistence and the only way to persist is through self-belief. You must believe that you can do what you set out to, against all odds.Writers are subject to so much imposter syndrome. Anyone can call themselves a writer, and no one really knows what a solid career is supposed to look like, so who’s to say your work is legitimate, especially when you’re just starting out.

Seek Help and Believe in Yourself

<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Not making a decision is making a decision.</h2><figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*Fsp2lJRV3WF" width="692" height="461"><figcaption class="ld ec go gm gn le lf bo b bp bq br" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/@victoriano?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Victoriano Izquierdo</a> on <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Lately, I’ve been jotting down meaningful phrases and tacking them to my wall. One that has motivated me most in the past couple of months, as I navigate a shift in my freelance career has been the following:<BLOCKQUOTE>“Not making a decision is making a decision.”</BLOCKQUOTE>Look, at the risk of sounding less than humble, I’m a pretty talented person, I’m a hard worker and a fast learner, so I rarely look at an opportunity and think, “there’s no way I can do that.” Usually, I think, with enough time and hard work, I can definitely make that opportunity work for me.However, when it comes to writing, the avenues to career success are endless. Some are longer, harder roads with a low likelihood of success, but, while others might be easier to break into, success is not guaranteed in any field. At the end of the day, however, every content creator must make a choice, because dipping your toes into all of them and hoping the best opportunity shakes out will not lead to success. Trust me, I’ve tried them all.<BLOCKQUOTE>“The problem is that with so many options, it’s difficult to choose one that works for you.”</BLOCKQUOTE><figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*5IBQLzTc2yy" width="692" height="460"><figcaption class="ld ec go gm gn le lf bo b bp bq br" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/@alschim?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Alexander Schimmeck</a> on <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Are there too many ways to make money online?</h2>The creator economy is booming and more people than ever are turning to content creation as a source of income. But what happens when there are too many options?<BLOCKQUOTE>“With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.”</BLOCKQUOTE>In 2004 Barry Schwartz published his seminal work, The Paradox of Choice, arguing that having too many options can be harmful to our decision-making capabilities and our happiness.“With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all,” he argues in his <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">2005 TED Talk</a>.This is painfully true in creative industries. There are just so many ways to make money online, through online media sites, platforms like Youtube and Instagram, blogs, newsletters, corporate clients, and more.Each opportunity comes with trade-offs: barriers to entry, difficulty, potential income, consistency, and preference. These trade-offs are all different for different people.The problem is that with so many options, it’s difficult to choose one that works for you. Moreover, once you start struggling on your journey to become a YouTuber or start a successful newsletter, it can be tempting to jump ship and dip your toes into another stream of income. Instead of putting all of your energy into building a successful business, you end up spending most of your time wondering whether you made the right decision.<BLOCKQUOTE>“You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.”</BLOCKQUOTE>The other thing Schwarz says is this: “Opportunity costs subtract from the satisfaction that we get out of what we choose, even when what we choose is terrific. The more options there are to consider, the more attractive features of these options are going to be reflected by us as opportunity costs.”<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*Ly9iqQavJio" width="692" height="461"><figcaption class="ld ec go gm gn le lf bo b bp bq br" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/@gcalebjones?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Caleb Jones</a> on <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">How to Overcome the Paradox of Choice:</h1><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. Make a plan.</h2>Take some time to weigh and measure your options. Decide, based on your skillset, preferences, and practical information like barriers to entry, potential income ceilings, which kinds of work suit you best, and — this is really important, especially when it comes to writing — whether that type of work will make it easier to pursue other projects down the line. Then, prioritize your direction on that basis. You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.See here for more about how I chose which types of writing I wanted to pursue.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. Follow through.</h2><BLOCKQUOTE>“From the present everything looks impossible — you’re not good at your craft, you have no connections, no bylines, no security — but from the future looking back, anything seems possible.”</BLOCKQUOTE>Persistence is key. I’m sure you’ve heard that one before. Everyone from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toz7XEsSH_o" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">YouTuber Ali Abdaal</a>, who made 4.7 million dollars last year after 7 years of building his content creation business, or <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/99838/14-brilliant-authors-who-didn-t-succeed-until-way-after-30" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison</a>, who didn’t publish her first novel until she was 39, says the same thing: to be successful, you’ve got to stick with it. Not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for years, maybe even decades. Once you choose which path you’re going to take, commit to it for as long as it takes.When I start to get down in the dumps about being “behind” in my career, I imagine where I would be if I started five years ago? Ten? When I consider where I would be if I had started ten years ago, I see no way I could fail except having not tried. From the present everything looks impossible — you’re not good at your craft, you have no connections, no bylines, no security — but from the future looking back, anything seems possible. Try this: imagine, you’ve already accomplished your goal. It’s five years from now and you’re living the life you’ve always dreamed of. What are you doing? Do that now.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. Seek help and believe in yourself</h2>This is closely tied to number two. The only way to achieve your goals is through persistence and the only way to persist is through self-belief. You must believe that you can do what you set out to, against all odds.<BLOCKQUOTE>“So often we think the money in the writing industry just isn’t in the sector we want to be in. We second guess our decision to become a part of this niche and assume that our lack of initial success is a result of the path we’ve chosen, not the fact that all success takes time.”</BLOCKQUOTE>Writers are subject to so much imposter syndrome. Anyone can call themselves a writer, and no one really knows what a solid career is supposed to look like, so who’s to say your work is legitimate, especially when you’re just starting out.When I first decided to go freelance my therapist suggested that I start doing affirmations. I turned every fear I had about writing into a positive statement. “I am a good writer,” “I am capable of having a successful writing career,” and most important of all, “I can make a living doing the types of writing I want to do.” So often we think the money in the writing industry just isn’t in the sector we want to be in. We second guess our decision to become a part of this niche and assume that our lack of initial success is a result of the path we’ve chosen, not the fact that all success takes time.There’s another benefit to overcoming the paradox of choice, which is that it gives us writers the opportunity to take back control of our careers. Instead of chasing the next big thing, we can focus on the work that’s most fulfilling to us, and focus our efforts, not on choosing the “right thing,” but on learning how to make our thing work for us.<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*T3mrb3VgjKJ" width="692" height="472"><figcaption class="ld ec go gm gn le lf bo b bp bq br" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/@diesektion?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Robert Anasch</a> on <a class="au lg" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>I feel a little like I’m talking to myself here. I am constantly reminding myself of these principles and that’s good. At every fork in the road along your journey to the creative career of your dreams, you’ll have to stop and remind yourself to keep marching ahead and avoid the impulse to start over. Starting any endeavor is easy; finishing, however, might be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.Bottom line: too often we hedge our bets because it’s impossible to decide what works best for us. The truth is that you could succeed doing any number of things, if only you stick with it. It only takes a little bit of patience, persistence, and the willingness to learn.I hope you enjoyed reading this! If you’d like to support me as a writer, become a <a href="https://katherinedemby.medium.com/membership" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Medium member</a>. For just $5 a month you’ll receive unlimited access to Medium. I will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Lately, I’ve been jotting down meaningful phrases and tacking them to my wall. One that has motivated me most in the past couple of months, as I navigate a shift in my freelance career has been the…

Stashed ideas

Not making a decision is making a decision.

Lately, I’ve been jotting down meaningful phrases and tacking them to my wall. One that has motivated me most in the past couple of months, as I navigate a shift in my freelance career has been the following:

“Not making a decision is making a decision.”

Look, at the risk of sounding less than humble, I’m a pretty talented person, I’m a hard worker and a fast learner, so I rarely look at an opportunity and think, “there’s no way I can do that.” Usually, I think, with enough time and hard work, I can definitely make that opportunity work for me.

However, when it comes to writing, the avenues to career success are endless. Some are longer, harder roads with a low likelihood of success, but, while others might be easier to break into, success is not guaranteed in any field. At the end of the day, however, every content creator must make a choice, because dipping your toes into all of them and hoping the best opportunity shakes out will not lead to success. Trust me, I’ve tried them all.

“The problem is that with so many options, it’s difficult to choose one that works for you.”

Are there too many ways to make money online?

The creator economy is booming and more people than ever are turning to content creation as a source of income. But what happens when there are too many options?

“With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.”

In 2004 Barry Schwartz published his seminal work, The Paradox of Choice , arguing that having too many options can be harmful to our decision-making capabilities and our happiness.

“With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all,” he argues in his <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en">2005 TED Talk </a>.

This is painfully true in creative industries. There are just so many ways to make money online, through online media sites, platforms like Youtube and Instagram, blogs, newsletters, corporate clients, and more.

Each opportunity comes with trade-offs: barriers to entry, difficulty, potential income, consistency, and preference. These trade-offs are all different for different people.

The problem is that with so many options, it’s difficult to choose one that works for you. Moreover, once you start struggling on your journey to become a YouTuber or start a successful newsletter, it can be tempting to jump ship and dip your toes into another stream of income. Instead of putting all of your energy into building a successful business, you end up spending most of your time wondering whether you made the right decision.

“You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.”

The other thing Schwarz says is this: “Opportunity costs subtract from the satisfaction that we get out of what we choose, even when what we choose is terrific. The more options there are to consider, the more attractive features of these options are going to be reflected by us as opportunity costs.”

Take some time to weigh and measure your options. Decide, based on your skillset, preferences, and practical information like barriers to entry, potential income ceilings, which kinds of work suit you best, and — this is really important, especially when it comes to writing — whether that type of work will make it easier to pursue other projects down the line. Then, prioritize your direction on that basis. You can always change your mind, but the most important thing is to make a choice.

See here for more about how I chose which types of writing I wanted to pursue.

“From the present everything looks impossible — you’re not good at your craft, you have no connections, no bylines, no security — but from the future looking back, anything seems possible.”

Persistence is key. I’m sure you’ve heard that one before. Everyone from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toz7XEsSH_o">YouTuber Ali Abdaal </a>, who made 4.7 million dollars last year after 7 years of building his content creation business, or <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/99838/14-brilliant-authors-who-didn-t-succeed-until-way-after-30">Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison </a>, who didn’t publish her first novel until she was 39, says the same thing: to be successful, you’ve got to stick with it. Not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for years, maybe even decades. Once you choose which path you’re going to take, commit to it for as long as it takes.

When I start to get down in the dumps about being “behind” in my career, I imagine where I would be if I started five years ago? Ten? When I consider where I would be if I had started ten years ago, I see no way I could fail except having not tried. From the present everything looks impossible — you’re not good at your craft, you have no connections, no bylines, no security — but from the future looking back, anything seems possible. Try this: imagine, you’ve already accomplished your goal. It’s five years from now and you’re living the life you’ve always dreamed of. What are you doing? Do that now.

This is closely tied to number two. The only way to achieve your goals is through persistence and the only way to persist is through self-belief. You must believe that you can do what you set out to, against all odds.

“So often we think the money in the writing industry just isn’t in the sector we want to be in. We second guess our decision to become a part of this niche and assume that our lack of initial success is a result of the path we’ve chosen, not the fact that all success takes time.”

Writers are subject to so much imposter syndrome. Anyone can call themselves a writer, and no one really knows what a solid career is supposed to look like, so who’s to say your work is legitimate, especially when you’re just starting out.

When I first decided to go freelance my therapist suggested that I start doing affirmations. I turned every fear I had about writing into a positive statement. “I am a good writer,” “I am capable of having a successful writing career,” and most important of all, “I can make a living doing the types of writing I want to do.” So often we think the money in the writing industry just isn’t in the sector we want to be in. We second guess our decision to become a part of this niche and assume that our lack of initial success is a result of the path we’ve chosen, not the fact that all success takes time.

There’s another benefit to overcoming the paradox of choice, which is that it gives us writers the opportunity to take back control of our careers. Instead of chasing the next big thing, we can focus on the work that’s most fulfilling to us, and focus our efforts, not on choosing the “right thing,” but on learning how to make our thing work for us.

I feel a little like I’m talking to myself here. I am constantly reminding myself of these principles and that’s good. At every fork in the road along your journey to the creative career of your dreams, you’ll have to stop and remind yourself to keep marching ahead and avoid the impulse to start over. Starting any endeavor is easy; finishing, however, might be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.

Bottom line: too often we hedge our bets because it’s impossible to decide what works best for us. The truth is that you could succeed doing any number of things, if only you stick with it. It only takes a little bit of patience, persistence, and the willingness to learn.

I hope you enjoyed reading this! If you’d like to support me as a writer, become a <a href="https://katherinedemby.medium.com/membership">Medium member </a>. For just $5 a month you’ll receive unlimited access to Medium. I will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

How the Paradox of Choice Is Stifling Your Content Creation

Too Many Options

The Opportunity Cost Of Choice

BARRY SCHWARTZ

How to Overcome the Paradox of Choice: Plan

Follow Through

Seek Help and Believe in Yourself

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

The More Options You Have, The Happier You Are - Darius Foroux

Want to Write for a Living? The 7 Things I Wish I'd Known - Scott H Young

The Power of Mind Maps to Build Your Career Master Plan | Prolific Living

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

How the Paradox of Choice Is Stifling Your Content Creation

Too Many Options

The Opportunity Cost Of Choice

BARRY SCHWARTZ

How to Overcome the Paradox of Choice: Plan

Follow Through

Seek Help and Believe in Yourself

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

The More Options You Have, The Happier You Are - Darius Foroux

Want to Write for a Living? The 7 Things I Wish I'd Known - Scott H Young

The Power of Mind Maps to Build Your Career Master Plan | Prolific Living

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career