How could you know what is the MOST IMPORTANT thing to work on right now?
Through this episode you’ll learn how to navigate this question, where the potholes are and about 9 specific tips you can apply right now. (I’m very explicit about the one I think is most important).
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“What’s the most important thing to work on right now? Here’s some tools to figure it out.”
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Show Notes
24 Lessons Learned In A Year of Podcasting (to 10,000+ listeners, FS052) — “On our 52nd episode, we share the 24 things we learned in a year of podcasting, what we wish we would have known before we started, and how to slap yourself into gear (because, like us, you probably deserve it too).”
Get the Audience Guide — “We’ve put together a handbook to help you get to clarity on your target market, ideal client, tribe, avatar, persona, whatever the kids are calling it these days.”
Mud Rooms, Red Letters, and Real Priorities | 43 Folders — “‘Priority! Mud room!’ I audibly mumbled, just loud enough to be heard exactly one row back.”
Asana — This is the team project/task manager we’re using right now.
Brain Dumps, Prioritization And Productivity: A Beginners Guide To Getting Things Done — This explains more about that brain dump thing we mention where you walk around your house/life capturing all the things you want to get done. And here’s a great list to help you along.
Flannery O’Connor on Blood & Sweat — Such a great quote.
Drink Beer for Big Ideas, Coffee to Get Them Done — “From a scientific perspective, creativity is your ability to think of something original from connections made between pre-existing ideas in your brain.”
““It’s easier to bleed than to sweat.” ~ Flannery O’Connor”
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Learn how to set goals that actually stick!
The Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
Every week we talk with entrepreneurs. We talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We talk about successes and failures. We spend time with complete newbies, seasoned veterans, and everything in between.
One topic that comes up over and over again with both groups is mistakes made in starting businesses. Newbies love to learn about mistakes so they can avoid them. Veterans love to talk about what they wish they had known when starting out.
These conversations have been fascinating, so we compiled a list of the 10 mistakes we hear most often into a nifty lil' guide. Get the 10 Most Common Mistakes in Starting an Online Business here »
As I listen to this, and the golf analogy, I was shouting that’s so ZEN! (like Raven) Then Chase said it’s Buddhism 101. I’m not a Buddhist either, but vicariously, I’m so in. My dance mentor gave me the book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” in the 80s. In it there’s a story about a farmer whose cows keep breaking down his fence to graze on the other side. He keeps fixing it every day, and they do it again. He brings the problem to the Master, and is told… move the fence. I’m STILL not good at that but it is a life lesson for me, for sure. PS: This is the first Fizzle Show I have listened to. It was great. I worked on a site while it was on, so now I know how to be a podcast consumer. xo
We finally roped you in! Glad to hear your first episode was this one, Faith. I think you started with a good’ne.
I know that feeling when you mention the wife comes home, asks how your day went, and your response is just, “ehhh”. Great podcast guys – thank you!
At one point Chase said Marlin Man instead of Merlin Mann and I kept thinking of some Half Marlin half Man super hero ….http://www.clipartsupply.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/6da9ce8dbc7c5c2d8d17692c03fd4140/M/A/MARLIN-FULL0510.png
I recently started my own creative web design & branding business and have been struggling with the “what’s the ONE thing I should be doing right now” question. So thanks for this episode, it has really sparked a fire in me! A resource you might find perfect for this topic is a book called The One Thing by Gary Keller. It teaches in great detail how to figure out that one thing you should do right now to move yourself and your business forward. Oh, and hearing Chase singing “I’m alright!” has seriously made my day.
Thanks, Patrick!
Guys, don’t cut out the “nuggs.” Stupid vocal minority. The first five (cough…fifteen) minutes are the best. Keep it up.
Totally agree with Preston! The fooling around is half the fun :)
Thanks Preston! Don’t worry, we have too much fun to give up the *brief* banter ;)
it’s true, your words. They’re true.
Figuring out where to spend your time is one of the most important skills to learn, especially if you want your thing to support you. When you’re building there’s a ton of advice out there to follow and you can easily be lead down rabbit holes that won’t grow your thing. Got to focus on what’s important in the stage that you’re at.
This is one of the things I personally struggle with a lot! Thanks for helping me realize why that may be the case (lack of info about what my audience wants) and some great tips to figure that out and get it done. I too loved the golf analogy! Never thought of “the big picture” that way!
Awesome, Jeff. Thanks, man.
Great show chaps. Loved the CEO/Worker Bee reality. It is so true. And the whole golf analogy expectation setting thing really worked for me.
My golf game came on leaps and bounds when I stopped trying to hit two shades of sh*t out of the ball. It didn’t just go where I wanted it to but it also went further. By slowing down, I allowed the club to do all the work.
I think the same can be said of business. When you stop trying so hard to get to the finish, you give yourself time to focus on what’s important and end up getting to where you want to be much faster than you could have hoped.
Nice one share with thanks a lot sir i have read your blog its really interested post .
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Finally searched Merlin Mann after Chase mentioning him so many times? Glad I did. Read (old) stuff on 43folders and I’m feeling a drive to eliminate superfluous activity.
And a drive to stop reading so many things online and stop adding 2 cents to comment threads, haha.
“Go on a low-information diet for a couple of months and see how much progress you make.” Corbett, ding ding ding ding ding! I can’t tell you what a sense of relief I felt just hearing that.
Being an info junkie is one of my biggest difficulties. I’m going to try cutting it out for a week to really concentrate my efforts. I will still allow a bit of Fizzle learning, but nothing more for that time.
Thinking of posting it on the forums to see if anyone wants to join me!
I loved the CEO / “Treat yourself like an idiot” bit.
I’ve taken this strategy in just about all of my current ventures. I write a detailed to-do item and then just execute it.
This Meta Level thinking stuff was great!
awesome, Ben.