I’m in a bad way.

Enough is enough. I’ve gotta haul it in.

Just so you can identify the warning signs, this is normally how the addiction begins…

Thwack – an idea smacks you fair in the head while you’re semi-sleeping at 3am in the morning.

It’s a business or product domain name perfect for an undiscovered, yet super-profitable online niche market you’ve been researching.

It’s brilliant. A cracker. You can see it extending beyond just being a pretty name. It has the possibility of making you millions. It’s ‘rule the world’ material – the world where your untapped, niche market lives.

In fact, it’s so good, some other marketer is bound to have secured it. Surely?

So, you bolt down the hallway to fire up your lap top to see. The race is on – adrenalin pumping.

Gimme. Gimme. Gimme. It’s gotta be free – because your brilliant idea epiphany deserves it to be so.

Such overwhelming anticipation - Go Daddy better cough up the goods tonight.

Then…

Yee Haaa! There it sits, ripe for registration.

The web design, copywriting and marketing ideas are already flooding your head. You’re in a crazy, seratonin-spin.

So you grab your credit card because yeah, FOR SURE – this one’s the BIG one – this one will secure your future prosperity - you’ll be able to flaunt gold-dipped shoelace tips and other frivolous bling forever.

And anyway,  it’s ONLY $25 for two whole years. That’s a small price to pay…for shiny shoelace tips.

Bargain! Let’s do it!

And here, my friends, is the precise moment when the seed of your domain name registration addiction plants itself.

It’s fed by the buzz you get when you realise your domain name idea is available.

How do I know?

Because my credit card bill tells me so.

Yep. After over $7000 worth of registrations, I’m (sort of) proud to say I’m an expert at picking the signs of addiction.

The ROI was looking a wee bit skimpy. (That’s marketing speak for Return On Ideas.)

But  how did I go off the registration rails? What possessed me to give that mother of a company, Go Daddy, all my money?

Oh…now, let’s see.

When you think of an idea, and you know that idea has merit and a bright future, letting it go is like throwing away a dream.

It’s a lotto ticket that has a deliciously good chance of winning.

But with every idea you require time for execution. Lots of it.

That’s the hard part.

If you don’t have time for execution, you don’t have the money to register domain names willy nilly.

It’s a sad fact.

But accept it. Get over it. And just say NO to your addiction.

Because you ain’t gonna make money out of an idea unless you’ve time to make it zing.

And anyway…let’s make it clear.

You’re not addicted to domain name registration.

It’s deeper than that.

You’re addicted to idea generation – good, bad, crazy, eccentric, stupid, brilliant or impossible ideas.

It doesn’t matter what type.

It’s the thrill of possibly taking something simple and making it into a massive success.

It’s possible. But it takes time.

So if you’re sitting on a few ideas…rest assured…so are the rest of us.

So the bottom line here is? Enjoy your idea generation…but don’t let it affect your bottom line.

Loud Cow is off to the paddock now….until the herd starts to annoy me.