What steps are you taking towards finding financial freedom? Slow steps, careful steps, stumbling steps, quick steps? Foxtrot? The truth is, if you are taking any kind of steps to financial freedom, you need to be sure of where and how you are placing your feet.

When people first contemplate running an online home based business, sometimes all they can think of is the money they are going to make. Many of them do not stop to think about the steps they need to take in order to make this money, but instead take a huge leap into the unknown without knowing what they are doing. Consequently, most of them will either fall flat on their face when they trip over the first hurdle, or fall down the gaping hole that they did not see beneath them.

Somebody once said, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". We then have to get there one step at a time.

If you are flat broke and want to be a millionaire, you have got quite a lot of mileage to cover. You are not going to be rich by just signing up to the first affiliate marketing program you find and hoping for the best.

However, if you plan your journey well, choose the best route and take one step at a time, you will get there. During your journey you may have to push yourself at times to make those steps, but on your way you will meet some interesting people and learn much about yourself and the world around you.

When you plan a journey, you would probably look at a map. You would look at where you are now, and where you want to get to, and then decide the best way of getting there. But you always have to start from where you are now.

This is the same with any life goal. You have to look at where you are right now, and what it is going to take to arrive at your goal.

When starting an internet business, you need to be aware of what resources you already have (your budget, your skills, your time etc), and then decide what you need to take you from where you are to the next stage of your journey.

Your first step, therefore, might be deciding how much money you can afford to spend on your business monthly. Your next step will probably be to decide what you are going to sell, and which programs you want to join as an affiliate. This needs careful consideration as it is important that you like the products and services you are selling, and that they feel right for you.

Next, you will need to start learning about internet marketing. This will include setting up a website that is keyword optimised, learning how to write articles and blogs, submitting to directories, pay-per-click advertising, building a list and forum marketing, among others.

This sounds like a lot to learn but if you take it step by step, learning one thing at a time, you can make real progress with just one form of marketing for a while. When you feel confident in that one thing, you can move on to the next.

The steps to financial freedom may be many. They may sometimes to boring, difficult, and sometimes you may even get distracted away from the right path. However, if you don't start that first step, you will never get there: just take it. Then take the next one, and the next one...