One of the biggest sources of frustration I see in online business start-ups... is people doing things outside the logical order.
Have you ever tried to take your pants off ...without taking off your shoes first?
If you haven't, I'll tell you exactly how it goes. The two seconds it would have taken to slip your shoes off becomes at least two minutes getting unstuck from the predicament.
We get this bright idea that we can bypass a step and save two seconds of time. It looks like it will *probably* work if we do it this way. But it doesn't. Plain and simple. Not doing things in logical order just costs us more time, and causes an unreasonable amount of backtracking and frustration...
I had a friend that was notorious for this, no matter what the situation. She would manicure her nails for a date later that night for example, knowing she was going to mow the lawn that afternoon. Then she would come in from mowing and weeding the flowerbeds... annoyed that her nails had to be re-manicured!
Logical Order In Your Online Business
It may be a no-brainer to put your pants on before your shoes, to make the spaghetti sauce before you get dressed, to shower after you do yardwork, etc...
But it's not always so easy to determine the logical order of tasks for your online business. More often than not I see people surrounded by tasks and ideas with no idea where to start - or what to do first. And they look like this: 😯 LOL
Here are some tips to help you get (and keep) your bearings:
1. Never buy anything you don't need right now. Stay focused on the task at hand, and only buy/learn what you need in order to accomplish that task. Don't invest money OR time into things you aren't ready to implement.
2. Implement what you learn, as you learn it. Don't waste time reading a book if you aren't going to take action on it. Personally, I like to tack action as I read. This means I often print PDF files, or read with a notepad and/or computer at hand.
Learn, do, learn, do... (otherwise you'll just end up a professional learner)
3. Don't do something just because someone else (a guru, maybe) said that you should. Consider what makes sense in your business, in your market, with your product or site. Only apply what fits in your plan.
4. Have a plan, and stick to it. Decide what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and what you need in order to get it done. Then do it. In logical order.
Learning By Doing
A lot of people feel they have to learn everything they can, or have a solid understanding, before they can start an online business. Unfortunately, by the time you learn something in this type of business... it may very well be outdated.
The absolute best way to learn is to learn as you go - or learn through implementation. It doesn't make sense to learn everything you can about Google Adsense before you have even chosen a topic and set up a website. By the time you do, Google Adsense could be long gone (just for example).
This is just one of the reasons I recommend you learn what you need to know, when you need to know it, to accomplish what you're working on right now.
- - - - -
Speaking of doing things in logical order, Gideon Shalwick just put out a new video on processes and funnels that is very simplified and easy to understand:
Enjoy! 🙂
Best,
p.s. I would love to hear what you think of Gideon's video, and also your thoughts/experiences on the logical order of tasks in your online business...
About Lynn Terry
It is very easy to see and all makes sense when we step back and look at logical order from a distance. But most of the time we are so buried in what we are doing that we can't see the logical order or somehow rationalize that "It doesn't apply to me, because my situation is different". That's when you need to take a break and walk away from what you are doing. Come back to it later and make sure it still makes sense.
My grandfather was a carpenter, and he taught me to "Measure twice, cut once." Your article is excellent and hits the nail on the head for what should be followed in this hectice life we live today. Thanks for your great work!
2. Implement what you learn, as you learn it. Don’t waste time reading a book if you aren’t going to take action on it. Personally, I like to typo -->tack action as I read. This means I often print PDF files, or read with a notepad and/or computer at hand.
Hi Lynn,
Very timely post - I was just thinking this morning about order, processes and ways to implement! A mind map seems to work so well for me in "getting it down" - out of my mind and on paper or into an online tool. Brain dump as you so often recommend! Then I can create order and a task list.
Thanks for the nudge to get that "brain dump" accomplished and create order for my business. Clear the clutter and focus - what a concept!
All the best,
Martha
Agree with you Lynn. 🙂 I also see this as a really big problem that people have, not just in internet marketing.
Some additional advice, I think it's important and necessary to something zoom out and have a look at the big picture and see how everything is connected to better understand the logical order of things.
Having a strong foundation in online marketing basics is important too. Some people don't do well in 6th grade, and struggle by the time they reach 12th grade, because they missed some of the basics that are essential in the logical order of things.
Cheers,
Allen
Hi Lynn
Thanks for sharing this great video I have just started this journey and am trying to find out as much as possible before I go live hoping my website will be completed early next week 🙂
I have bookmarked your site and will be back 🙂
Thanks again
Chellie
Learn - implement - observe, it's always best to observe your results from what you've learned and have put into action.
Testing things on your own is also a great way to really see if your plans are really feasible, also works with point #3, given that sometimes what the gurus teach is not really suitable for everyone.
Where the heck were you 4 years ago when I needed this post? 🙂 Hands down, wasting time and money on non-productive time is the biggest failure point
Thanks for Gideon Shalwicks video. Again very useful information.
.
The post was an eyeopener. I am famous for my chaotic workstyle and doing things in reverse or any order, but not in logiocal order.
Anyway, the results are still OK but i am sure that they could be better if my approach to work were more streamlined.
Thanks Lynn,
that's exactly what I started to focus on and implement lately; in the last couple of weeks I started two niche sites (even if I'm still learning what to put in them and how to monetize the best way), activated an Amazon Associate account and I'm going to activate Google Adsense (will do it tonigth, I promise ;-). Reading all of Google AdSense (even the official documentation in the Google website) is far toooo much!! You're so right in suggesting to learn as you go - or learn through implementation. I'd summarize this with the phrase "ready, fire, aim is much better than ready, aim, aim, aim, aim, aim, ..."
One of the really big ideas in almost any kind of project is to start at the beginning. Kind of like it says in Alice in Wonderland where the Queen tells Alice to "start at the beginning, then go on until you come to the end, and then stop"
It so often seems like people trying to start their internet businesses begin almost anywhere except the beginning. They compare hosting offers, or they buy a traffic ebook or get 150 free wordpress themes - all without ever having an firm idea of what they actualy want to get out of the deal.
This is a great video. Simple, short (mercifully so) and right to the point. Thank you for sharing it here.
When you learn something new but not put into practice is like you never learn anything abou it. Personal i like to learn and than practice, it is more easy to me but i thing everyone has his one style to learn.
I agree with you Lynn. And thanks for the sharing. I often do or learn something that is not relevant yet with my business, and not taking action as soon as possible for what I've learned. Seems that I got over dosage with information.
This is a very nice tips.
Guilty as charged. Especially with buying things I have no intention of implementing at that very moment. Good advice because it is very easy to get lose and waste a lot of time and money in the process.
Well this is very true, the orderlessness can create very serious problem and make your business go directly down. So we must make plans and order things and then work.
I think that every single one of us would love to be able to put things in a logical way in this gigantic rush that surrounds us. It’s good to practice the learn-do technique and I am sure there is a lot to improve in the daily routine. But, are you doing things in a logical order?
Hi there. Main thing i have learned last years is to learn new things just when i need them. Usually i was completely overwhelmed by all the blogs i read. Now, i read a book on a subject when i need it in my business. And just reading/following 2/3 blogs. Works for me!
Guilty as charged:)
I came to this realization the first time I needed to explain what I do, and how I do it, to another person. There was not a trace of any system, workflow, or reason why I do it this or that way and not the other:(
It just didn't make sense.
It made me feel incompetent and unproductive.
Hi Lynn
I suppose in essence what you are talking about is project management. I used to be fearful of the whole 'project management' field until I realised that it didn't amount to much more than asking yourself:
1. What am I trying to achieve?
2. What individual steps do I need to take to get to that point?
One of the mental blocks can be that you sometimes think that you don't know what the individual steps are, so you think you don't know how can you set down what those steps are.
One option is to start att he end (sounds a bit counter-intuitive, I know. Work out the steps you would need to take immediately before you acheived the goal and then work backwars identifying each preceeding step.
So, in a simplified example, say you goal was to get a new wordpress site online, with the theme of your choice loaded on it.
Final step might be : configure the theme;
Preceeding step : Upload the theme to the site;
Preceeding step : Download the theme from theme provider;
Preceedinmg step: Choose the thems;
Preceeding step; install WP;
Preceedings step; Activate worpress in hosting account, and so on.
Lynn you have shared how one can achieve what their by learning and do it. Thank you for the post and video, it has inspired me to start looking into myself and see where I am in my life. Great sharing .
Hi Lynn,
First time on your blog. Great articles. This is exactly why most people struggle when they start online. First point is critical - last month I saved $2000 for one of my coaching customers, when he requested refunds for all the products that he bought, and that he will not need at least a year henceforth. This is the biggest problem, as most people think that one product can make the difference, yet the biggest different comes with the mindset change.
Thanks!
Peter Garety
Great post Lynn! Working full time can make fitting in IM time very difficult for me. I've found that making a list every Sunday of the things I want to accomplish during the week makes a world of difference. Checking off my completed tasks is so satisfying!
WHATS........."logical-to-one"
MAYWELL BE...."Illogical" to another.
Hello Lynn, the video makes sense. I found that this sort of detailed planning works best in stages. That is, have a general plan for the whole thing, then start implementing the first step, your free or front end offer in detail. You will discover things about your market, your offer and your web implementation that can affect how and what to do for your next funnel step. As you said in your intro, learn by doing; that means rapid implementation is key.
Good, common sense stuff as always Lynn.
I think one of the major issues I see taking effect is this current trend for the nonsense 'Push This Big Red Button and Make $10,000 By Tomorrow'. This creates a mentality that it's possible to skip the fundamental steps, when you and I know it isn't.
Your last point might be the most important one, although I fear people will miss it. Creating a plan and then doing it consistently seems to be one of the few (but major) things that separates the good from the great in online marketing.
As Charlie Sheen would say: Keep on 'Winning!'
Lynn,
As always with your postings very interesting and informative.
One thing in your post that stood out for me, is FOCUS.
It's when a person lacks focus, that's when they are easily distracted and easily spend their cash on the next best thing.
To have focus, a person needs to know their purpose and have a vision. Purpose is their why behind what they want to achieve, the stronger and compelling the why, they are more likely to achieve what they want.
Vision is basically how they plan to achieve it.
Gideon's video does a great job explaining that 🙂
Lynn, this is a great post! I particularly liked your “Learn, do, learn, do technique.” However, I am just wondering though, is there really a fixed and logical way in doing things? As what may be logical for me, may not logical for you. What do you think?