Linda, this is a great post. I have several friends who want to get into this business and they are inspired by my success but they are so overwhelmed with information so they are stuck in this "Ready set... Ready set... Ready set..." mentality and they just can't seem to GO!
I think this is such a common problem with new affiliates. There is so much information on affiliate marketing and sometimes it gets overly complicated to people.
Another problem is that people spend so much time searching for the money instead of relying on their passion to lead them in the right direction. What they don't realize, if they choose a niche they truly love then their passion for the subject will drive them in the right direction. Suddenly it doesn't seem like work... you end up making money and having fun. That's what happened to me.
Affiliate marketing doesn't seem like a job. I just find topics I enjoy that help people and then the money just comes as a result of doing what I enjoy.