There is an innocence and brutal honesty that my three-year old exudes every single day. And as much as I strive to instil my knowledge and experience on to her, she still manages to teach me so much.

Some of her words of wisdom, I’m somewhat less fond of, like: Mom, you have lines on your forehead, so I guess you must be getting old. I guess. Or: Mom, you should wear more pink, it makes you look more like a girl. I hate pink.

But most of the time, in her purity, in her determination to do things her way, she reminds me of the little things in life that I apply to my daily routine, and in turn, to my adventures in affiliate marketing.

Here then, are four tips from my daughter, which bring me back to basics, and make for great affiliate marketing lessons.

1. I want to be everything when I grow up
My girl says this regularly, and neither my husband nor I have the heart to break it to her, that she just might want to narrow down her focus—at least a little. And really, why should we.

Thinking big is essential to making it big, in life, as it is in affiliate marketing. Now, that doesn’t mean that when you’re starting out as an affiliate that you should launch endless websites, promote every single brand you come across and dip your fingers into PPC, SEO, blogging and social media all at the same time. It means you think big, and you want big, and then you come up with a plan to get you there. One step at a time, and patience, patience, patience.

2. When I wear a (pink) dress, I want it to twirl!
I have a hard time getting my girl in anything else but a dress—and skirts don’t count. And not just any dress; it has to be a dress that twirls when she dances and spins. Sometimes, in the craze of the early morning rush to get out the door, this demand can be difficult to meet. But then again, who can blame a girl who knows exactly what she wants.

Knowing what you want out of your affiliate business is paramount to reaching success. How else will you know when you’re there, if you don’t know what it is that you want? Once you’ve established what you want, tell the people around you, so they can help you make that happen. Your affiliate manager is a great person to start with. Maybe you want to know about all new promotions, new marketing creatives or new opportunities that fall within a specific sector. Having expectations is a good thing. Make sure you’re teaming up with the right people to help you meet those expectations.

3. That kid’s bad news
My daughter is in daycare and there are six other friends in her class. When I ask her how her day was, I ask her about her classmates, and if they had fun together that day. She’s not a big fan about one particular boy, and goes so far as to say that she doesn’t like playing with him. I know who he is, and sure enough, he spells trouble—and is often found in time-out because he’s done one bad thing or another.

In affiliate marketing, bad news often comes in the form of black hat SEO. Keyword stuffing, hidden text and page cloaking are just some of the many black hat SEO techniques that may seem like a fast-track to stardom, but in the end, can cost you your website and indeed, your business. And while you may experience a boost in traffic, this is usually only temporary. White hat SEO techniques will have a much more positive and long-term benefit for your website and will help you get to where you want to be in search engine results—and help you stay there.

4. But I like my old teacher…
My daughter’s daycare is divided into classrooms, which are divvied up based on age. Next September, she will be moving up to the 4-year-old level, and she’s a little hesitant about leaving her beloved Johanne, her teacher, behind. To prepare the children for this transition, her class has been spending about an hour every day in the big-kid class, and low and behold, she seems keener now for the move.

For many of us, and affiliates too, we have a routine that gives us comfort. Whether that be hanging with the same people or using the same familiar marketing techniques, humans are often creatures of habit, and that can act as a disservice to your affiliate marketing business.

Breaking out of your everyday routine may sound challenging, but it really is quite achievable. Just like my daughter, try doing something for an hour a day, that you have no experience in, that you’ve always wanted to find out more about—but never have. Attending conferences, for example, is a great way to meet new people, learn new techniques and be introduced to programs that you may never have thought about before. You’re not going to give up the methods that have proven fruitful for your business, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add to them, and maybe discover something equally good, or better.

We’re continually inspired by wee ones. Check out one of our earlier posts called, All I Need to Know about Affiliate Marketing I Learned in Kindergarten.

How do your kids inspire you in affiliate marketing? Let us know in the Comments section below.