When I conjure up an image of an affiliate marketer in my head I picture the successful, full-time, hardcore affiliate type. The kind of affiliate who works hard, plays hard, and lives what most people would describe as “the affiliate lifestyle.”

Reality may be a bit different for most affiliates though. I’m guessing that a majority of you are working a day job while trying to make your online businesses thrive to the point where online work becomes your primary income. Not surprisingly, getting from day job person to full-time online entrepreneur can be a challenging journey, but it can happen.

For example, it just happened to Leo Babauta of the Zen Habits blog. Leo, who has made a name for himself in the online world by writing about simplifying, organizing, and enjoying life, just announced that he quit his day job and is completely self-employed for the first time in his life.

In true Zen Habits form, Leo has created a list of the 10 things he did to get to the point where he could quit his day job. Although Leo isn’t really an affiliate marketer per say, he is an online worker who is now living the dream, and there is much to be learned from his experience.

Leo starts the post a quote from Mark Twain which really hit home with me. Here it is:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

If that quote speaks to you at all, I’d suggest printing it out and keeping it somewhere you can read it daily…I know I will.