People tend to use very powerful, frightening language when previously profitable AdWords campaigns start to drop in efficiency, or go into the red.
Whether it’s due to the recession, increased competition, or tightened quality score requirements, people feel and speak as if they’re actually “bleeding”, “dying”, “getting killed”, etc.
Sometimes it’s important to step back, breathe, and look at this language with fresh eyes.
I’m NOT talking theory. Most of you know Sharon and I went through near-bankruptcy losing $2M when we only had a little less than $1M. Did you know you can lose $2M without having it first? It’s not like losing your car keys where you can at least remember having them all in your hands at one point in the recent past. (NOTE: my bankers did NOT think this analogy was very funny)
What you might not know is that by continually frightening myself I created an emotional situation which I ran to food to escape. (Well, not really food, more like chocolate, pizza, and ice cream)
I gained 60 pounds, drove my triglicerides into the 800s, my cholesterol near 300… and created a bunch of other numbers which almost gave my DOCTOR a heart attack.
Seriously… I was not only broke, I was almost dead.
The thing is … I COULD have just been broke.
And in the end, the whole experience turned out to be what gave me the courage to make a life transition I was wanting to make for a very long time. (A good psychologist can make about $150K/yr without too much struggle, but my skills were worth many times that in marketing… I really had no choice but to push forward. Look where I am now)
So …
I KNOW things are tough all over.
I KNOW the numbers in your account don’t look so hot … maybe downright frightening.
But my question is … are you really bleeding? Being tortured? Getting killed? Dying a slow death?
How are YOU scaring yourself, and what’s it costing you to do so?
Breathe.
It’ll pass.
You’ll be here when it does, and with the right perspective, you’ll have a smaller hole to climb out of.
Glenn 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Glenn, appreciate this article. It made me feel better about my situation. (which very good but i\’m just dissatisfied.)
Sure, I am un-employed, COBRA runs out in February (if I can afford to pay it), in constant pain 24/7 and will most likely be in pain for the rest of my life, and trying to learn enough about REAL internet marketing (not the ‘make $25,000 a month by paying me $47′ type of marketing) which is like trying to get 19 college degrees in 6 months, before the money runs out (which is sooner than later) so, sure, things will get better. Anyone want to trade problems? I am sure if I heard yours. I’d probably just keep mine (if only to save you!) and yet, I am still a reasonably upbeat guy. (Sort of like those people that seem like they must not know what’s really going on), but I do know what’s going on. I just thank God, I found Perry Marshall, Glenn Livingston, Terry Dean and of course Sharon Livingston, (not to mention Bill Glazer) because when you are willing to learn from ‘real’ people and be ‘real’ it has to work out. (At least that has been this one person’s past experience.)
sticktoitiveness helps too, even though that is not a word. Lol. Thanks,
~Mark
(PS-You ought to hear one of my bankers, He doesn’t think it’s funny that he accidentally loaned me 150% of my home’s value, or I’d have been living under a bridge a year ago *next to a Starbucks with wireless for the laptop* either. Lol.)