discuss Domain Investor Stress, Balance and Wellness: Input Sought

[Bob Hawkes]

I am researching the topic of mental wellness for a future NamePros Blog article.

Domain investing can lead to stress. I am interested in how you deal with that, and tips for achieving balance and wellness in your life.

Are there great online resources that you recommend?

If you do not wish your comments to be potentially quoted in the article, please indicate that.

Thank you in advance for your input.

Bob

 

[johnn]

Some Newbies may be stress when they see other people sell names quick or with good prices and wonder how can they do the same thing.
I saw a lot of same questions which lead to no answer: How and where can I sell my names quick.
So instead of spending the time to market them they keep reading the wrong answers and even listed them here for appraisal which will lead to nowhere.
- BB, SH listed
- Search Volumes
- EMD
- How many extensions were taken.
There is only one buyer for your name so don't think too much.

In order to reduce stress you need to consider some simple thinking:
- Quality names will sell - quantity is not matter if you bought/register crap names
- Do not believe in appraisal - you can sell the same name to small company for $5,000 and big company for $50,000
- List them everywhere: Sedo, Afternic, Godaddy, Dan, etc...
- The landing page looks has nothing to speed up the sale but the reputation of the company will.
- Simple thinking when buying the name: If you will develop the name to a website, will people come?

And last but not least NEVER ask your wife about her opinion.

 

[FolioTeam]

Here are my tips.

Have the right expectations:

If you came straight from a YouTube video that told you how sex.com sold for millions and how you would be raking in millions in no time from domaining, then stress is bound to set in when you discover it isn't so. Having the right expectations will definitely keep your stress level down.

Read, study and learn. Then rinse and repeat:

With domaining, you can't skip the learning process. The more you learn and apply, the more results you'll get and the more confident you will become. So, channeling your frustrations into learning is a better use of your time.

Own your journey and be content in it:

No two domainers' journeys are the same. Find contentment in what you have. Change what you don't like. Instead of being stressed by the success of other domainers, be inspired by them. Emulate them if you must but find your own path.

Like @DN Playbook already stated, only spend what you can afford. Don't get addicted:

Money is a big stressor for many people. Domaining on the other hand can be addictive for some people, especially hand-regging (see the meta thread as a prime example). Don't go on a spree thinking that the next domain might be the one. That's just going to cause you unnecessary stress.

Take a break:

Taking a break once in a while is good for your mental health. You always gain some perspective when you put some distance between you and something. Same works for domaining.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Take the opinions of others with a pinch of salt. Not everyone's going to believe in your vision. As long as you're honest with yourself about the prospects of selling your domains then that's all you need... Ensure that your prospect is born in reality and not in the hope that your investments will eventually become the flavour of the month and bring you riches because of reasons outside of your control, that will lead to stress.

Don't over invest and don't invest too quickly.

Don't sit looking at lists of domains all day it will send you crazy.

Diversify... Don't put your eggs into one basket. This will help with my point about people's opinions, you'd only really care if you're all in on one particular niche or type of investment and have a lot to lose.

Go for a walk every now and again.

Open the curtains, have a shower (a wash) in the morning and get dressed.

Build a website instead of just sitting on domains. I've had great successes with building websites, it occupies time, it's fulfilling and challenging. Every bit of knowledge you pick up and every time you work on it you are building something that is tangible that you own. Domaining can be an up hill struggle that can yield little results, so make use of your ability to acquire nice domains and put them to work. Like domaining it takes a lot of time and concentration, but you gain a bit of control when you turn what you have into something that people find useful.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Eric Lyon]

High impact stress and anxiety happens in every industry and seems to be more of an impact the closer to the grindstone or level of involvement you are.

You can bounce back for months, years, even decades, and then one day, you just can't motivate to bounce back again.

Total niche or industry burnout.

Can one recover? Sure, but it may require an event to take place to restore the proverbial fire.

Events might be: A confirmed sale, unexpected parking revenue, a reputable inquiry on one of your long-hold premiums, new consistant high-traffic indicating one of your niches got popular, etc...

What ever the event might be for each individual, it generally has to be generated from within the industry itself to recapture the attention and spawn more motivation.

Now, how does one trigger an event after a burnout with zero motivation? I think it's very difficult and speculative to try figure out each individuals ignition trigger. Some, may never be found, while others was easier than realized.

An event catalyst to initiate a trigger could be as simple as a fellow investor, family member, friend, coworker, etc... creating the event to assist with reigniting the flame.

But, what if you don't have anyone around you that thinks about trying to remotivate you? A solution may be to pick a motivational partner involved in the same industry you are, or were.

Your partnership will only be to provide motivational support to one another.

Perhaps, the above could be the beginning of a constant motivational cycle that helps with releasing stress and anxiety in the industry.

The whole "positivity attracts positivity" (Law of Attraction) may apply.

That's just my opinion anyways. What works for one may not work for others.

At the end of the day, a domain is only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

Perspective also helps with stress.

 

[NickB]

I practice......some sites below that I found/find useful when I got started.....

Mindfulness: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/basics/mindfulness

Meditation: https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/

Breathing Exercises: https://www.verywellmind.com/abdominal-breathing-2584115

Running - self explanatory (I hope)


Very recently I have started reading up on cognitive behavioural therapy - looks interesting.......

https://positivepsychology.com/cbt-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-worksheets/

 

[Armageddon]

Stress for me is when i dont have money
Now i am in trend so no stress for me
I start 2022 with xxxx in euro currency sales
When i have money i am not sell domain names at low prices so now i wait for a sale of one of my domains for xxxxx ( will be the first in 12 years )
With money earned in January i have money for living , renew or reg domains for one year so no stress for me at this point
PS i dont have a job since 1 July 2020 & living only from domaining

 

[zomainhacks]

Sometimes I find difficult to empty my mind from domains, I don't know if it is only me but I think about domains almost all the time.
If one is not able to divide private life and work, there's the risk of working too much and this is not definitely healthy.

The waiting time between a sale and the other can also be stressfull, but this improves over time once one understands market regularities and starts building confidence on his/her own portfolio quality.

I find particulary helpful practising meditation using apps such as headspace and listening to classical music while I'm working.

Recently I'm thinking to refrain using internet for at least one day per week, information overload is also a real risk.

 

[DN Playbook]

Good topic. There were posts made that some just threw their hands up and gave up on domaining altogether. You can sense the stress and frustration.

Here are my recommendations to add to what is already posted:

- Don't invest more money than you can afford.
- Learn to spot gems. They are out there. Whether fresh reg's or low priced expired auctions. This comes from experience more than anything else. So be patient.
- Develop a domain on a subject you are passionate about. This will be a healthy mental distraction and even better if you can monetize it.

 

[Nametra.com]

I’ve recently tried turning domaining from a part time hobby to a full time profession and I have to admit the results are frustrating to say the least.

It seems like all the work and effort has made little to no difference in the results, which are okay but not what I’d like them to be.

But I’m trying to think of domaining like a marathon, not a sprint, and I know results can take time. I’ve been doing this for over 22 years so I’ve learned a bit of patience.

I think this business requires patience, determination, experimentation and a willingness to keep going through a lot of disappointment. And keep learning (this forum is a great tutor).

As they say, if you want something bad enough you’ll find a way to get it.

 

[redemo]

There are far more important things to worry about in life than domain names. I used to worry a lot more when I was trying to sell domain names without much success. Then I started developing domain names and found success relatively quickly. I actually enjoy the creative process of building something that other people find useful. Solving other people's problems is highly theraputic. Domaining is like a box I can open and close. Not something I think about all day long.

 

[capybara]

Mental wellness?

A new reg a day keeps the shrink away!

 

[Mister Funsky]

Domain investing can lead to stress. I am interested in how you deal with that

I keep a case of PBR in the fridge and at least two back up cases in the pantry.

(in the event PBR clarification is needed: https://pabstblueribbon.com/)

 

[iAdam]

Invest in what you can afford to lose, or at least to hold for a long time.

 

[Heisenberg.d]

This is what I do :
Stop visiting weekly domain sale reports.
Stop looking at your own shitty portfolio.

*obviously you don't need that kind of negativity in your daily life.

 

[biggie]

Hi

i posted links to threads, where i mentioned the word "stress" in relation to domaining.

here, i mention "worrying"
https://www.namepros.com/threads/google-and-exact-match-domains.707131/#post-4098765

anxiety:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/how-do-you-valuate-your-domain-names.1242698/#post-8309758

stressful situations:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/afternic-the-good-and-the.1225193/#post-8133481

domaining stress factor:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/top-10-reasons-why-i-like-domaining.791779/#post-4487606

mod stress:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/resignation.757674/page-4#post-4318857

and finally..
how i deal with stress:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/motivated-or-demotivated.1143130/#post-7295475

imo...

 

[HotKey]

mod stress:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/resignation.757674/page-4#post-4318857

imo...

That is SOME history. So many layers to NP, like a tree with its rings; each has a story for its time. And, for me I suppose domaining is a stress inhibitor more than a cause of. A lot of domaining has to do with reading, and reading and digging into something can help add clarity to what we've become fixated on.

Sometimes I find just taking a step back from making our comments known, which many times just exasperates the problem, go explore and read. Let the heat pass. Come back to something with a fresh mind or better clarity and then the issue really isn't as bad or even as important as we thought it was. Time heals all wounds.

 

[karmaco]

If you are stressed about domaining you probably need to evaluate what you are doing wrong be it over spending, under promoting, registering garbage, selling too low, asking too much money , etc.

We should all be recalibrating and analyzing our portfolio every year as there is always room for improvements. Its a work in progress.

 

[Mkt Sales Leads]

Don't get stressed by buying domain names. If you can afford good quality, hold it. Maybe more stressful if you're buying borderline stuff. I go to what people above have said: Don't be so serious about this, have fun

Domaining's fun if one doesn't overspend on bad names, nor frets over renewals.

 

[marijuanadomain]

Stay away from Fake News!!!

 

[redemo]

I’ve recently tried turning domaining from a part time hobby to a full time profession and I have to admit the results are frustrating to say the least.

It seems like all the work and effort has made little to no difference in the results, which are okay but not what I’d like them to be.

But I’m trying to think of domaining like a marathon, not a sprint, and I know results can take time. I’ve been doing this for over 22 years so I’ve learned a bit of patience.

I think this business requires patience, determination, experimentation and a willingness to keep going through a lot of disappointment. And keep learning (this forum is a great tutor).

As they say, if you want something bad enough you’ll find a way to get it.

I am impatient. Became a domainer to make money and escape the rat race. I don't mind building results incrementally at the start a few bucks a day but there has to be constant tangible progress or I lose interest and motivation fast. It was fun building a portfolio of 60 high search volume key word domain names over the course of one year. It's even more fun trying to earn five bucks from each web site each day. If it works 60 web sites x $ 5 = $ 300 each day. At that point I will have achieved the objective and escaped the rat race. They say patience is a virtue. In my book getting sh*t done, seeing immediate results and completing objectives is what matters. Everything else is noise. Was achieving this at one stage but lost interest in the subjects and that is also a risk. Should have sold the site on Flippa but let it get into a state of disrepair and by then competitors were well ahead. You have to be on the ball. It's getting more difficult because there is more competition but it's getting easier because there is more technology. So the important thing is to stay updated with the new technologies and how you can use it to your advantage and not spend to much time on your emotional state. Try to think logically and rationally not over emotionally.

 

[King]

Take breaks, breathe, exercise. Have some fun. That easy.

 

[ShoDomain]

Really It's a tough Job. I would like to hear more from the successful domainer how they kept their patience and ended up profitable.

 

[Jimmysun]

Think the worst is just to become homeless.

 

[Intop]

@Bob Hawkes namepros is the top wellness forum to avoid stress. We should rebrand the forum to: WellPros.com
When have a bad day sales, a bad month, a bad year or had discussions with wife.... write in namepros!

- The landing page looks has nothing to speed up the sale but the reputation of the company will.
- And last but not least NEVER ask your wife about her opinion.

With the first point not complety agree. I think a good landing page makes the difference. About the reputation of the company will... depend. End user sale not differentiate about good or bad reputation.

The second point fully subscribe.