Countless dollars are wasted every day on information products. People may as well flush their money down the toilet.

You might be wondering why someone who makes their living selling information products would say this. Here’s why.

More people than not buy product after product in hopes that the "next one" will be the magic bullet. They may have the best intentions when they hit the "buy now" button, but in quick order they get sidetracked, bored or realize it actually takes time, effort and work to get a result.

Then you have those who invest in products and do all they can to gain a high return on investment. With focused attention they likely achieve great results.

I’ve had more than one occasion where someone contacts me to ask if my program will finally be the one program that "works."

"I’ve gotten dozens of programs, spent thousands of dollars, listened to countless experts but nothing has worked."

When I get this type of inquiry I tell the person NOT to buy my information. Not because the information doesn’t work, but because I’m not naïve enough to think I will be the exception to the rule. I know my programs will be yet another in their long line of "programs that don’t work."

Over the last year I have invested tens of thousands of dollars in my professional development. I have bought programs that range in price from $10 to $1,000, $2,000 and more. When investing in the higher priced programs I make sure the expert selling it is the real deal.

I also make sure I’m willing to invest time and effort into learning the material and implementing what I learn.

Amazingly, not one of those programs "didn’t work." As a matter of fact I made money from each and every one.

I’m not alone in these results. Every day men and women around the globe are making money online, but they don’t assume for a minute they don’t have to put effort into gaining results.

As we move into the New Year many entrepreneurs are planning for the coming year. In order to get the most out of 2012 try this:

Take an honest inventory of all the programs you have purchased in the last year. List everything you can think of. Prioritize the items according to what is likely to give you the quickest return on investment.

Commit learning and implementation time to each in order to get a return on investment. As you see your revenues grow, commit a percentage of your income to future programs.

Only buy those programs that will truly benefit you. (And yes, there are programs we need to grow our business)

Decide which experts you want to learn from. Resist the temptation to buy from those who promise great returns with no effort whatsoever. This kind of promise is a red flag.

Each time you buy a program commit to putting time and effort into the material. After all, the more you expect to offer your market the more you will have to put into your own development.

When you follow this simple formula you will be amazed at the results that are possible.