The new book I'm working on is about leading yourself. This is something I've struggled with for years with my business ( username: story password: story) because when you become a solopreneur, you don't have anyone but yourself to account to (and I can be VERY lenient when it comes to accounting to myself).
I've found that leading myself is like herding cats; I'm easily distracted, the bathroom suddenly needs to be cleaned, I have to go to WalMart because I'm out of staples, etc.
I can spend an entire day wallowing in self-pity and doubt which leads to turning on the tv and losing myself in endless episodes of NCIS (my weakness). Without someone breathing down my neck, I can get caught up in polishing and perfecting things rather than posting them. There's no one to kick my butt and tell me to suit up and show up or else.
To create that accountability, I created a checklist that I have to fill out before I can end the day. I do it in my dayplanner so when I wonder why I didn't make enough money this month, I can go back to my dayplanner and see how many blank spots there were in the month and I know exactly where the buck stops.
I keep it simple:
1. How many new business contacts did I make today?
2. How much income did I produce (real dollar amounts...not pie in the sky things that might make money sometime in the future)?
3. What did I do to move closer to (a big goal)?
Knowing those questions are waiting for me at the end of the day helps me stay away from the bon bons and soap operas and WalMart or the "this has to be perfect" syndrome.
I've found that leading myself is like herding cats; I'm easily distracted, the bathroom suddenly needs to be cleaned, I have to go to WalMart because I'm out of staples, etc.
I can spend an entire day wallowing in self-pity and doubt which leads to turning on the tv and losing myself in endless episodes of NCIS (my weakness). Without someone breathing down my neck, I can get caught up in polishing and perfecting things rather than posting them. There's no one to kick my butt and tell me to suit up and show up or else.
To create that accountability, I created a checklist that I have to fill out before I can end the day. I do it in my dayplanner so when I wonder why I didn't make enough money this month, I can go back to my dayplanner and see how many blank spots there were in the month and I know exactly where the buck stops.
I keep it simple:
1. How many new business contacts did I make today?
2. How much income did I produce (real dollar amounts...not pie in the sky things that might make money sometime in the future)?
3. What did I do to move closer to (a big goal)?
Knowing those questions are waiting for me at the end of the day helps me stay away from the bon bons and soap operas and WalMart or the "this has to be perfect" syndrome.
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