Stop learning and start doing

How I’m stopping procrastination from getting in the way of making things happen.

Procrastination takes many forms. I find it easy to justify spending part of my working day knitting, because I own a wool shop and when I show people a particular pattern and yarn, I often sell out of those products. But I know that I can’t only knit all day, because my new little business would flounder if I did.

I’m also throwing myself into growing my business online. Brand awareness, digital marketing, Google shopping, and lots and lots of social media. And in the interests of getting better at all of this, I’ve been busy learning.

So busy learning though, that I haven’t always been doing much doing.

I’m in danger of becoming a procrastinating learning junkie. I’ve joined Facebook groups, signed up to membership communities, listened to podcasts, read blogs … you name a place or platform, and I have been there.

But, walking to the wool shop this morning I realised two things. Firstly that the only learning places I actively engage with and benefit from are Makelight and Sara Tasker’s Hashtag Authentic podcast.

And secondly that I could be taking (even) more action from what they are teaching me.

Makelight is a community of creative business owners and is a hub of inspiration and generosity. As members we share insights into how we all can improve our businesses, and we have access to monthly learning themes led by Makelight founders Emily and Stef. I am a fully paid up member, and even though the small monthly subscription stretches my meagre start up budget to the max, what I get back is worth so much more than the ££s I spend.

Already in 2017 I have learned how to improve my photography as part of a focus on Instagram, taken a mini course in creating Facebook ads that helped me grow the community around my Facebook page and kickstart my slightly neglected mailing list, dipped into a series of insightful branding lessons, and been part of a blogging experience that has brought about this Medium publication and has helped me better define my own blog. I know now what and who my blog is for, I have a coherent content strategy and a plan for writing and publishing posts, and for how to promote them.

Meanwhile, Hashtag Authentic accompanies me on my daily walk to and from work. I have loved listening to this podcast because it is lighthearted and yet packed with incredible content. The variety of interviews and Q&As is great and I have become such a fan girl that I’m starting to count the days until the next episode because I know that it will help me question my social media approach and in so doing, improve it.

So Makelight and Hashtag Authentic provide brilliant value. And that’s because they each give me tangible activities to work on and the outcome is a positive change in my business through greater more engaged follower numbers on Facebook and Instagram.

But some of the other places I’ve been spending time — well I’m not taking any particular action as a result of them. If I was to quantify the time I’ve invested in just hanging out in those places I suspect I would be dismayed. There’s no return on investment when I don’t do anything because of being in these learning environments — which means they probably are not the right places for me to be.

So decision number one. Only to spend my time where it makes good business sense.

And decision number two. It is not enough to deepen my understanding of what makes social media work (and what doesn’t). No matter how great Makelight and Hashtag Authentic are, if I stay in fan girl mode and don’t do more doing I am once again wasting time. And there’s so much that is dependent on my making this business a success … so I simply cannot waste time.

Being honest with myself, I already know there are lots of things I could be doing more with from what I have already learned on my social media journey. But I have been so eager for more more more from the communities I’ve joined that I have left for another day some of the tangible activities that I can already start, because I wanted to learn the NEXT lesson.

Cloaking all of this under the veil of learning is just a way of putting off until tomorrow what should be done today, and if that means that I don’t achieve my business goals then I would only have myself to blame.

So here is my promise. I will procrastinate no more, and I will set and meet some real targets that will keep Magnolia Tree Crafts moving towards being a stable, sustainable, and profitable business. Look out world, here I come!