6 Steps to Crushing any Project
Even the most ambitious side project will reveal plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t start. However, 6 simple steps can bring you closer to your crowning moment.
So, you’ve got a plan.
And you’re at the edge of the cliff.
The view of “what might be…”, gets you all tingly.
Jumping off will change your life forever.
And then, the floodgates open.
A million excuses hit you with the force of a truck.
Every one of them gives you a “valid” reason why you can’t (or shouldn’t) take that leap.
Mediocrity calls.
You answer, taking a step back.
Yet again, you’ve come short of finding out what you’re truly capable of.
This moment will haunt you forever. This moment when…
You could have been one with the Gods, but you chose to be average.
Remember, regret is worse than failure. Always.
Ask yourself:
If I had started on this project one year ago, where will I be today?
Now, imagine asking the same question, a year from now.
Hurts? It should.
It ought to sting!
I know this feeling too well. In fact, it’s the reason why the world is short of one more entrepreneur. (*rolls eyes* Don’t laugh. We’ll never know what I’d have become, right?)
A few weeks back, I decided to shed my cloak of failure. Naked and vulnerable, I decided to take the jump from “Aspiring Writer”, to “Writer”.
There are no promises of a million views. No Accolades. No book deals. Just me, and You. And a system I put together from years of collecting underpants.
The words of fantastic creators such as Steve Kamb, Tim Ferriss, Ramit Sethi, Jeff Goins, Stephen King, Chris Brogan, Steven Pressfield, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jesse Tevelow, Dan Meredith, and James Altucher were distilled to create a series of steps that are helping me “right hook/uppercut” my demons.
Read on. It will change your life. I promise.
6 Steps guaranteed to help conquer you next project
Step 1: Ground Zero - the Why and What of your project.
Shut off all distractions (including your phone) and give serious thought to the why and what of your project. Deep dive into the details.
This step will help identify the end goal of your project, and more importantly, what it means to you.
“I want to make some money so I want to start a business” is NOT an acceptable start.
Step 2: The details -How, When and Where
Write down the specifics of your project.
You’ll look at what you need to do to achieve the goal, time frame and where you will execute from. In short, you’d have broken down the project into small, manageable chunks. Remember, no detail is too small here.
Think of it this way — anyone looking at your plan should be able to work your project from ground up.
Also, the tasks you set for yourself should be big enough to challenge you, but, small enough so that they don’t intimidate you.
Step 3: Set aside time for your project
Open your calendar and lock in 30 minutes each day. Repeat for the next 30 days. You may take the weekends off.
30 mins x 30 days → 15 hours to work on something you love!
Imagine what you can achieve in that time.
The words you can craft. The number of customers you can speak to. The lines of code you could write.
In today’s time-starved economy, you’ve just managed to carve out 15 hours for yourself!
Protect this time religiously.
It’s easier said than done. Trust me.
Make it the first thing you do upon waking up, before you give in to the day’s distractions. Do your work for 30 minutes, and you’re FREE, till tomorrow.
Do not make the mistake of allocating 2 hours each day, because, you WILL FAIL. You may do well during the first few days, but you will find yourself derailed soon.
Small wins are the way to go.
Step 4: Tell someone of your plan
An accountability partner will hold you responsible and call you out on your bullshit excuses.
Through the toughest times, someone following up with you, can sting. But, it sets things into perspective.
Or even better, work with someone who also is struggling with their project. Push each other towards your goals.
Step 5: Start immediately
Once you’ve followed through on Steps 1–4, don’t wait around for the perfect time. It’ll never come. Start immediately.
It can be something as simple as Googling for business ideas. Do it. It might even be emailing a prospect. Don’t procrastinate.
The time will NEVER be right, so start NOW.
Step 6: Evaluate your progress regularly
Once a week, take 15 minutes to evaluate your journey.
How far have you progressed?
Have you been honouring your 30-minute time blocks?
If not, why didn’t you?
How is the project making you feel — stressed or energised?
Is the action you take helping you get closer to your goal?
Do you need to take corrective action?
These questions will help you gauge how well you are doing, or if you need to head back to the drawing board to re-work your plan.
There, you have it.
The 6-step system I am using on this writing adventure.
Yes, I have failed. But, getting back up is what counts, right?
The following quote from Charless Bukowski sums it up nicely.
I’m nowhere close to living a life that defines his words, but, I try. Try — therein lies the irony.
Call to Action
Pull out a piece of paper and write down your grand plan for dominating your goals.
Go through steps 2–7 and get started right away.
Don’t wait for January.
Go into 2018 all guns blazing with a “devil may care” attitude, and jet fuel coursing through your veins.
While everyone else is excited about New Year Resolutions (which they will abandon eventually), you’ll be halfway through implementing your project.
What better way to crush 2018?!
Still need a friendly pat on your back and a cheer from the sidelines?
Or kick in the pants?
Drop me a line below.
