Feeling Stuck Making Money Online? 6 Mindset Shifts to Break Through

But when it’s your turn? It feels less like building an empire and more like shouting into the void. You’re doing all the things, but traction? Crickets.

Before you declare the algorithm your sworn enemy or throw your laptop into a volcano (tempting, I know), let’s talk about the one thing that might be more powerful than your niche research, SEO knowledge, or email marketing plan.

Your mindset. Yep—your squishy, emotional, belief-packed brain.

Making money online isn’t just about strategy. It’s not just about finding the next viral trend or crafting the perfect Pinterest pin. Success, sustainable growth, and the kind of freedom you’re after? They all start in your head.

So if you’re feeling stuck, discouraged, or just a little lost in the sauce, here are six powerful, truth-telling, game-changing mindset shifts to help you break through.

1. Take Full Responsibility for Your Journey

Let’s kick things off with a tough love moment. Ready?

If your business isn’t where you want it to be right now… it’s your responsibility.

I know. That one stings. But hang with me—because this is actually great news.

It’s easy to point fingers when things aren’t working. The market is too crowded. The Instagram algorithm hates you. Your Wi-Fi cut out at the exact moment you were going viral (how dare it).

But when you give your power away to outside forces, you also give up the ability to change your results.

Here’s the truth bomb: Success starts with ownership.

The moment you stop blaming luck, timing, or competition—and start owning your choices—is the moment things begin to shift. Because now you’re in control.

⁃ Didn’t get sales? What can you tweak in your product, promo, or messaging?

⁃ Burned out after a failed launch? What boundaries or systems can you create next time?

⁃ Feel like you’re spinning your wheels? What feedback or data can guide your next steps?

You’re not a victim of the market—you’re the driver of your online business journey. And yes, that means you might take a few wrong turns (we all do), but you also have the power to reroute and keep going.

2. Eliminate Distractions and Protect Your Focus

Let’s face it: we live in a world engineered to steal your attention. Social media, Netflix, emails, podcasts, group chats… The distractions are endless. But if you want real results in your business, you need to get ruthless about protecting your focus.

Think of focus like a limited currency. Every time you give a little to something that doesn’t move your business forward, your ROI drops.

Here’s how to reclaim your time like the productivity queen/king you were meant to be:

⁃ Time-block your day like a boss. Use free tools like Google Calendar or apps like Motion.

⁃ Put your phone in Do Not Disturb mode or physically out of the room during deep work.

⁃ Batch similar tasks together. Writing, designing, responding to emails—do them in focused chunks.

⁃ Track where your time goes for one full week. You might be shocked where it’s leaking.

Remember: Focus is your superpower in the online space. Protect it, guard it, and give it to what actually builds momentum, that's how to stay focused working from home.

3. Shift from Scarcity to Abundance (There’s Plenty of Pie to Go Around)

Yes, the scarcity spiral. A mindset that tells you there’s only so much success to go around, and you missed your shot. But here’s the thing: that mindset? It’s a total lie.

The digital economy is worth over $4 trillion (yes, with a “T”). New businesses, audiences, and needs are popping up every single day. There’s more than enough opportunity for you—if you believe there is.

Here’s how to shift into an abundance mindset:

⁃ Stop lurking, start creating. Watching others succeed can inspire or paralyze you. Choose wisely.

⁃ Focus on your unique voice. No one else brings your story, energy, or creativity to the table.

⁃ Think collaboration, not competition. There’s room for everyone—especially if you’re adding value.

When you stop obsessing over what everyone else is doing and start building from your own zone of genius, you become unstoppable.

4. Expect Setbacks (and Use Them as Fuel, Not Excuses)

Let’s be honest: the online business world is sold as this glamorous, passive-income paradise where you launch once and sip matcha by the beach while Stripe notifications flood in.

But the truth? That first course might flop. Your Etsy shop might take months to gain traction. That Reels video you spent three hours on? Might get 14 views.

Setbacks happen. They’re part of the deal.

The difference between people who make it and people who don’t? How they respond when things go sideways.

Here’s how to become the kind of person who uses failure instead of fearing it:

⁃ Normalize “flops” as feedback. Every “no” teaches you something.

⁃ Look for the lesson. What would you do differently next time? What worked, even if the outcome didn’t?

⁃ Keep the long game in mind. Building a real business takes time. Let short-term setbacks be part of your process, not the end of your story.

5. Value Every Small Step (Because It All Compounds)

It’s easy to feel like the small stuff doesn’t matter.

You wrote one blog post—where’s the traffic?
You pinned your first 5 templates—where are the Etsy sales?
You created your opt-in—why hasn’t your list exploded?

Here’s the secret sauce: success compounds. That blog post is building SEO. That pin is one of hundreds that’ll eventually drive traffic. That opt-in? One step closer to a thriving email funnel.

Every tiny, boring action matters.

The people who win online aren’t always the smartest or flashiest—they’re the ones who show up consistently. Who post even when no one’s watching. Who tweak the title, re-test the thumbnail, and keep building brick by brick.

Want a confidence boost? Look back at where you started. I bet you know 100x more than you did six months ago.

6. Set Goals That Scare (and Stretch) You

Comfortable goals are cute… but they don’t lead to breakthroughs.

Let’s say your goal is to earn $50/month online. It’s “realistic,” sure—but it’s not inspiring. It doesn’t force you to level up, reach out, or try bold strategies.

But what if your goal was $5,000/month?
Suddenly your brain kicks into creative overdrive. You start thinking in systems, not scraps. You ask bigger questions. You act bigger, too.

The size of your goal dictates the size of your actions.

Even if you don’t hit the full mark, aiming higher almost always lands you further than if you played it safe. And yes, it’s a little scary. But you know what else is scary? Settling.

Your Mindset Is Your Greatest Monetization Tool

Let’s wrap this up with some real talk.

Making money online is absolutely possible.
Getting unstuck is 100% doable.
You already have what it takes—you just need to flip the switch.

Mastering your mindset isn’t just self-help fluff. It’s the foundation for every strategy, launch, blog post, funnel, and product you’ll ever create.

So if you’re feeling stuck right now, here’s your friendly reminder:

☑ Own your path.

☑ Guard your focus.

☑ Believe in abundance.

☑ Learn from setbacks.

☑ Trust the process.

☑ Aim sky-high.

The market might be crowded, but the YOU-shaped space in it? Still wide open.

Now go take up space—strategically, confidently, and with a mindset that makes room for magic.