Bet you don't think much about how good you are at some things. Too modest. Nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back once in awhile.

What is your strength? What do you do well?

If you're like me, you're probably already too focused on what you don't know, giving yourself little credit for what you excel at doing.

Stop taking yourself for granted. Don't underestimate yourself. Many of us seldom consider our own special talents, those things we possess by nature, that make us special and set us apart.

Uniqueness breathes life into your IM endeavors. Your personal point of view and unique experience is precisely why your customers value you.

If you crank your offering out of a machine, it'll lack your spark. I'm referring to software that'll churn out sales copy and articles promising to do the job better than if you write it yourself. Do that and your customers will not have an opportunity to know you, because your content is generic. It sounds canned and insincere. Even farmed out articles may come back lack luster. You may not want to use them to represent you.

Anything written with sincerity, in your own words is light years better than some fancy sales copy that was designed to sell. My inbox is full of that kind of copy, clones of clones. Bor...ing! Delete, delete!

The way I see it, IM is a combination of mechanical parts that we must learn, plus the variable parts that no one can teach you, because they are from the individual. It's the most creative part.

IM, to me, is very much like a jigsaw puzzle. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle and they all need to fit together in order to work. Through the entire process, it's important to stay flexible and alert to opportunity as it presents itself.

Also, doesn't make any difference what your niche is. If you're in a competitive niche, then think about an aspect of that niche where there isn't as much competition and where you can stand out. Get an appropriate keyword and go for it.

Your creativity is your power.

You can't be taught everything you need to know to build your business. It's unreasonable to expect that. You don't need a paint by numbers plan in order to be successful. You're not buying a franchise. Can you imagine how dull it would be if all online businesses looked the same? How would you be noticed?

Learn the basics, interact with fellow members, and have fun with it. It's a process for which there are no shortcuts, but you are building momentum the whole time. Nothing is wasted. Each step brings you closer.

To get back to my original thought, follow your strength. It's your calling card.