What If You had Started List Building Sooner?
You ever wonder how your life, or business or fragile bank account, might look right now if you’d started that email list… oh, say, a year ago? Or maybe two. Or last Wednesday when the idea first tapped you on the shoulder, whispering “Hey, you should probably do this before it’s too late.”
Weird how memory works, isn’t it?
We bury possibilities under daily chaos. Grocery lists, Netflix auto-play, dog hair tumbleweeds rolling across the living room. And suddenly it’s June 2025 and we’re saying, “Crap. Should’ve done that back in 2023.”
This is what I like to call your forgotten timeline, the parallel universe where you did take action. The version of you who shrugged, threw perfection to the wind, wrote that awkward first email, and hit “send.”
That person’s out there somewhere (metaphorically, obviously , unless multiverse stuff is more legit than Marvel lets on). And today, we’re gonna peek into their life to see exactly what you’re missing. Then we’ll yank that motivation back to now, because guess what? This is still your story.
The People Who Could’ve Been Listening
Alright, get this.
Picture your inbox. Now flip it, imagine being inside their inbox. A thousand people (or, heck, even 72) opening an email from you.
Twelve months ago, if you’d popped up a basic opt-in, literally just a plain page with your face, a half-decent promise, and a form, maybe 3 people a day would’ve joined your list. Nothing flashy, right?
But today? That’s 1,000 subscribers you’d have. Real humans. Reading your words while sipping their burnt oat milk latte. People who could be clicking your links, buying your stuff, telling their friends you’re brilliant.
But since you didn’t start…
they’re on someone else’s list.
It stings. Trust me, I’ve sat there before, refreshing ConvertKit stats that never moved because, well, I didn’t actually have a list. Meanwhile some other marketer was sending daily “quick wins” and snagging the sales I dreamed about.
Why start now?
Because every day you wait is another day your audience bonds with someone else. Ouch. Start your trickle today so it’s a flood by next year.
The Sales That Ghosted You
I used to think people only made money online because they were wizards. Or at least had cooler home offices than mine (my old setup was basically a squeaky chair, sticky notes falling off the wall, and a desk lamp that flickered like a horror movie scene).
But truth?
They just started. While we were tweaking logos, they were sending emails. While we were busy comparing fonts for our “brand kit,” they were dropping affiliate links into warm inboxes.
Had you started nurturing your list even once a week last year, your readers might’ve been basically waiting for your next offer by now. You’d launch a course, they’d buy. Recommend a product, they’d trust you.
Instead? Silence. A timeline full of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, that you can’t cash in at the bank.
Why start now?
So your next brilliant idea doesn’t land in a dead inbox. Or worse, one where your name’s met with “…who’s this again?”
The Confidence That Only Ugly Tries Bring
Here’s something super real. You’ll never, like ever, feel truly ready.
When, I finally sent out a tiny launch sequence. I was sweating bullets, thinking people would laugh at my grammar. Or unsubscribe with a dramatic, “How dare you sell to me?” (No one did. Shocking, I know.)
Instead, two people replied saying they loved my story. One bought.
My point? That confidence? It didn’t exist until after I hit send.
If you’d started last summer, you’d already be a person who knows what headlines bomb and what stories spark. You’d have replies to treasure, or memes from subscribers poking fun at your typos (which is weirdly endearing).
But nope, that timeline slipped past.
Why start now?
Because each ugly, unpolished email you send builds thick skin and soft power. Your future “pro marketer self” is forged in today’s cringe attempts.
The Safety Net You Never Built
Social media. Ugh. Remember when Facebook pages were still worth something? Or how last year’s Instagram strategy is basically digital compost now?
Platforms are landlords. They can evict you whenever.
But your email list?
That’s your patch of digital land. Owned, rent-free, algorithm-proof.
If you’d started capturing emails back when short-form content was popping off on TikTok, by now you’d have a cozy campfire where your people gather. Unshaken by what Zuckerberg decides tonight.
Why start now?
Because tomorrow’s platform shift could gut your reach. Your email list is your underground bunker, stocked with trust and buying power.
The Quiet Validation You Missed
I gotta say it, list building isn’t just about money. It’s ego fuel too. (In the best way).
Nothing feels quite like opening your inbox to a note that says, “Hey, this helped me so much. Thanks for sharing.”
If you’d started six months ago? You’d probably already have at least one of those. Proof your ideas matter. That your perspective resonates. That some stranger in Ohio or Cape Town or a tiny beach village in Portugal (where remote workers are flocking like gulls these days) smiled because of something you wrote.
Why start now?
Because your voice deserves an audience. And that little spark of validation? It’s addictive , and it only comes once you start sharing.
So… What’s Your Next Timeline?
Look, there’s already a dusty bookshelf in your mind stacked with timelines you never lived. The startup you didn’t launch. The video series you planned but ghosted. The relationships you didn’t nurture because, well, “later.”
Don’t let your list become another forgotten volume.
Start now. Even if it’s ugly. Even if it’s awkward. Even if you write like you’re breathless on a stairmaster.
Because six months from now, you could have a bubbling community hanging on your words, or still be sitting here, thumb-scrolling through posts like this, whispering, “Maybe next week…”
Write the opt-in page.
Set up the form.
Email one messy story.
Right now.
You’re the author. Pick the better timeline.To learn all about List Building and Affiliate Marketing Join for Free Here.
