Good thread and nice of you to share your challenges with others. If they share too it can only make all of you stronger.
Staying focused in our business is REALLY hard - especially for newbie affiliates, so you aren't alone John. Newbie affiliates are often diverted and sometimes completely derailed when they get hit with all the new "systems," new gurus and new ebooks that pretend to have all the answers for success on the web.
How do newbie affiliates make any progress or get any work done?
What should a poor distracted affiliate do???
Eric Giguere over at Geek Affiliate says pick a system and stick with it, then "Follow Nike’s Advice and Just DO IT!"
The Nike Rule of Affiliate Marketing: “Just Do It” - "The typical affiliate marketer is a distracted marketer. Their inbox overflows with messages from other Internet marketers promoting new money-making products and joint ventures. Those Internet marketers know that the distracted marketer is a prime mark, because he or she buys products and services based on hope — the hope of making money... The distracted marketer is, unfortunately, a poor marketer. Poor in both senses of the word, as in not a good marketer and not a rich marketer. And it’s not through lack of trying. It’s through lack of focus."
Hope this article helps a little.
Who else is having a problem or challenge right now?