- How many un-read books are on your bookshelves?
- How many home study courses are gathering dust in your closet?
- How many software programs have been lost in the deep recesses of your hard drive?
Too much information is a symptom of living in the 21st Century. As one blog commenter put it, “Like I need another info product in this lifetime!”
Newsflash: All those books, courses, and software programs won’t do anything for you without you!
YOU are the missing element.
Full bookshelves and an empty mind are not the goal. Rather, the goal should be to consume targeted information and apply it to your life, your business, your relationships.
The best information I’ve ever consumed was information I applied.
Sure. I’ve probably encountered better ideas, better information. But unless I applied it, it didn’t do anything for me.
Zip. Zilch. Nada.
We all have a lot of “shelf-help” info products and programs that need to be used. Here is how to use them:
1. Dedicate a certain time each day to the consumption and digestion of information. (A hearty “info meal,” if you will.)
2. Underline or mark those ideas you intend to implement.
3. Transfer those ideas to your to-do list. Put your intention in writing.
4. Work your to-do list and actually implement those ideas!
5. Check off items as you complete them.
Simple, yes. And hard. Hard because it takes discipline and persistence.
Do you have what it takes?
-Ryan M. Healy
{ 13 comments }
There is a season for everything. To do list is not sufficent. Do I have what it takes to see what is in it for me (reward) in order to implement the idea? Is the timing of the idea right?
I may have an idea to help. what do you think?
@Riche – I agree that the timing for an idea must be right before you implement. That’s why I suggested flagging those ideas WORTH implementing. Not all of them will be.
Not sure I understand the last part of your comment. Can you please clarify?
I think more importantly, you need to strategically decide on what specific route you want to go, whose copywriting voice you want to imitate to start before you go out and build your own.
I know that most of us that are just starting out tend to go all out on a “content addict” phase. I wrote about it on John Manley’s blog:
http://www.realitycopywriting.com/?p=214
What really pushed me over the edge however, was reading Rich Schefren’s reports this past summer. In one of them, he clearly defines the differences between an opportunist and an entrepreneur.
When I got into copywriting, the world of direct marketing, internet marketing, adsense, adwords, SEO, etc. etc. ALSO jumped out at me.
I drowned.
Beginners tend to jump on every opportunity. And it happens in stages. When you start off as a learner, you jump on every resource out there. When you actually start working, you jump on every prospect that calls you.
With that said…
I think we HAVE to go through this stage before we can pull away from it all and make the strategic decision. (or get a mentor and listen to him/her)
@Colin – Thank you for your comment. Being strategic is important. I’m not suggesting we should just do stuff because there is stuff to be done.
That’s why I said to consume “targeted information” — information that is relevant to what you’re trying to accomplish.
Jumping on one “opportunity” after another is a good recipe for going nowhere fast.
I’m sure this post sits hard with a lot of people who will be trying to deny they have this problem lol.
I’m about 1/2 way there. I have a lot of “unread” stuff (about 6 books, a few CD’s and a couple DVD’s)….but I always like to have more than I need so I never run out because I educate myself for at least an hour every single day.
I like the idea of making a to-do list though, I’ll have to try that out.
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.controlbeatingcopy.com
@Jeremy – Sounds like you’re ahead of the game. Nice work!
Although to-do lists are less than perfect, at least they give some direction. I never finish my list before I write another one.
If I determine the unfinished items on the old list don’t really matter, they don’t make the new list.
I’m a to-do list king, but the only time I make progress is when I choose 2 or 3 items to tackle each day.
I find a long to-do list is a great way to capture stuff, but a crap way to achieve stuff.
Crossing off items on the to-do list is hugely rewarding!
@Perry – I’m the same way. I (almost) never finish a list before writing a new one. And if any items are no longer relevant, I drop them.
@Tony – I find it’s helpful to mark those items on the list that have to be done TODAY. Helps to avoid getting overwhelmed.
I find the hardest part is simply being able to say “no.”
No to more information when I haven’t digested what I already have on my plate.
No to something else to read or do when I’m already fully committed.
No to distractions that keep me from being productive.
But I’m getting better. :-)
@John – I agree. Saying no is harder than it sounds. I’ve been trying to strengthen my “no” muscles for the last year.
I’ve created an “Accomplishment Log”. It’s a Word doc with the date and a list of bullet points of everything I got done that day.
I open it up, look at it, and if there aren’t five bullet points of things I’ve actually DONE today, then I get cracking. For some strange reason, I tend to forget all my accomplishments, so reminding myself of what I’ve done so far keeps me going.
I’m only just emerging from this phase myself. I agree with Colin – I think most people have to go through this phase of feeling you need to know everything before realising that it’s the application of (perhaps imperfect) knowledge that drives success.
There will always be something slightly better coming down the track – but a B grade plan with an A grade implementation is infinitely better than an A grade plan with a B grade implementation.
Ian
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