Archive for April, 2010
Life In The Grind
Posted by: | CommentsLife in the Grind was the subject of last week’s webinar. Apparently, there are a few mentoring students moaning about the boring work they’re doing. And, I have to admit, I’m one of them. Dull, dull. Endlessly dull.
The good news is I’m keeping at it. I’m plodding on and, for the most part, not being diverted. So that’s a success. Hoorah!
Before my 1:1 call with Ed Dale last week, I made a hasty dash to complete my CFT file. I’d been slacking a bit. Not wishing to gloss over the truth my last entry recorded:
21.4.10
45 mins 3 by hand comments
45 mins Faffed around
45 mins Faffed around
Fundamentally, I was struggling from a lack of variety. And, a lack of not noticing exactly what I’d achieved. Oh yeah, and from impatience.
Ed wrote a great blog post about this topic earlier in the week – How Farmville holds the secret to online success or something. In it, he explains that in the computer game World of Warcraft, apparently paid for and played by 11.5 million people per month, players (Oops, sorry, gamers) talk about “grinding”, i.e. getting to the next level. How soon they do that is a function of time spent playing the game, i.e. DOING stuff.
The equivalent in internet marketing is what you do in your Critical Focus Time which, as we know, consists of stuff like creating content and building back links.
So, considering the fact that most people who have a go at the internet marketing game don’t get very far, and faced with a bunch of moaning mentees, Ed poses an interesting question – given that millions are willing to grind away at games such as World of Warcraft everyday where there’s no monetary reward, where as in internet marketing being willing to work means you end up with actual cash -
“What’s different, what makes one form of grinding a game loved by millions and one seem like dreary work?”
Two things jump out at me in answer to that:
1. Implicit in the build up to the question is the assumption that people are “doing” internet marketing purely for financial gain. Now, admittedly that’s what most people would say they are doing but, in my experience as a coach, it’s never about the money. It’s what you think the money will buy you that’s what you’re really after. And if you don’t know what that is it’s hard to keep going when the going gets tough. If you can connect your end goal to your daily grind then you will find it easier to stay motivated. But just saying you want to make money isn’t sufficient.
2. The words “seem like dreary work” are an interesting choice. The fact is, no work is, in and of itself, dreary. Only your thinking makes it so. So, as I mentioned in ‘How To Manage Boring and Repetitive Tasks‘ if you keep telling yourself what you’re doing is boring then you’ll be right. Your work will be boring. (Note to self – please remember this and adjust voices in head accordingly!)
By making the daily grind into a bit of a game you can begin to play with ways of making it more interesting. For ideas on how to do this read the “boring and repetitive tasks” post. I would add to that the strategy of mixing things up. So far my focus has been on this website and building traffic to this website. Now that is ticking over I am ready to add a bit of variety and will be revisiting my old websites to see what might be done with them. Do I work on them and sell them? Do I just sell them? Do I work on them and keep them? Not sure.
The key thing is to accept is that the daily grind is a part of setting up an internet marketing business, that cannot be avoided. (At least in the beginning). So you might as well accept it. Then you can free up the energy, currently used in complaining, and use it on experimenting to find the ways that will make this process less painful for you. And, who knows? You might even find yourself enjoying it!
Fourth Shelf Down and 20 Books From the Left
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s an idea if you’re experiencing writer’s block . . .
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Finding myself with some of my writing time still outstanding, and feeling singularly uninspired, I decided to play a game.
The Aim
To overcome my writer’s block and write a complete article no matter how good or bad I think it is whilst writing it.
The Setting
I’m in a public library.
The Game
Go to the bookcase where a number of my favourite books are housed and select the book that is on the fourth shelf down and 20 books from the left. No matter what it is, use that as my inspiration for writing.
. . . walks to the bookcase and selects . . .
The Book
The Way of The Explorer – An Apollo Astronaut’s Journey through the Material and Mystical Worlds.
by Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Dwight Williams
The Writing
Well, that was an interesting synchronicity since I feel this year of internet marketing mentoring is a bit like my own personal journey through “material and mystical worlds.”
Creating an internet marketing business is the material world whilst coaching is more mystical and more of a journey into the unknown.
But can these things be separated really?
My focus for this year is not so much on the material goals as on the process.
I like to think that if I keep taking action and adjusting my course on the basis of the experience and the results I’m getting I may end up somewhere that, from here, I can’t envision. All very mystical.
But my rational, left-brain, feels a pressure to stipulate some goals and to know where I’m going.
Generally, material goals hold little attraction for me. Nothing I could achieve, during this year, would be worth it to me if the journey to get there was constantly dull, uninspiring or a struggle.
When I set out this morning I was dragging my feet but now I feel excited and I’m enjoying the process of completing my writing and my CFT.
I like this game. I will play it again.
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Obviously, you don’t need to be in a public library to do this exercise. You could choose book shelves at home or in your office. Or you could go into a shop and choose the second aisle on the left, third block down, fourth shelf from the top and 7th item along. The possibilities are endless. The most important point is to make a commitment to write about whatever you’ve chosen, regardless of what you end up with.
Once you take the pressure off yourself by allowing it to be a mediocre piece of writing as well, you can just relax and enjoy it. And from that place you are far more likely to produce something original and inspired.
Please feel free to leave a comment and tell us how you get on with.
How To Manage Boring and Repetitive Tasks
Posted by: | CommentsWe established in Once The Shiny Wears Off that one of the challenges in the early stages of setting up an internet marketing business is the necessity to consistently complete tasks that, for most of us, are boring and repetitive.
So, here are 5 ways to help make these early days a little less onerous:
1. Know Why You Are Doing It
If you know what you want to achieve from having an internet marketing business you can remind yourself of this when the going gets tough. The more specific you are the better. Don’t just say I want to get rich. Get clear about how much you want to earn on an anuual basis and then spend some time thinking about why you picked that amount.
Pay particular attention to what you are waiting to create in the the furture that you could do/have in some form now. Then don’t wait. Do it now.
2. Don’t Keep Giving Yourself Negative Messages
Don’t keep telling yourself how “boring” it is – or whatever your particular moan is. Don’t talk about it, either to others or in you head. Just get on with it.
The human brain is a magical biocomputer. It sends us energy when we send it something inspiring and it slows us down when we send it something negative or depressing.
The important bit to understand is that we are the ones who are sending the thoughts to the computer. Life doesn’t send the brain anything. We do by how we interpret what life offers and the story we tell ourselves about it. For example we might say “These tasks are dull and boring and I don’t want to do them” or we could say “This process is a necessary step along the way that is taking me closer to what I want and it won’t be like this forever”. Both are interpretations and stories. BUT, one sends energy and enthusiasm and the other frustration and fatigue.
3. Break Your Work Down Into Manageable Chunks
Don’t work on any one task for longer than 45 minutes. And break up the work with something that requires you to move your body and get away from the computer. ( See my Critical Focus Time post for more on this).
4. Celebrate Your Successes
Rather than focussing on what you still have to do make a record of what you’ve done. For example, I’ve found it motivating to have a chart on my wall that I colour in every time I write a new article. I also have one for number of articles submitted. Watching the numbers increase shows me that I’m achieving something, even if the anticipated results of my work, in terms of visitor numbers, rankings etc. have yet to arrive and this helps me stay motivated.
Another example is recording exactly what you’ve done in your CFT.
5. Learn Something New
Whist your daily work is still at the stage of boring and repetitive it’s worth making the time to learn something new. This may or may not be work related. However, DO NOT do this, until you’ve completed your CFT activities.
Research shows that the brain actually adds physical capacity (similar to the way an exercised arm adds strength) when you learn something new. It doesn’t just add the information, it adds “learning strength” by way of dendrite growth in the physical brain that can actually be measured.
When you learn a new language, or a musical instrument, for example, your brain actually grows smarter and more capable of solving problems. So keep your brain healthy by balancing out the monotony with something new and stimulating.
Whatever you choose to do, there is no getting away from the necessity to develop discipline and keep repeating the essential tasks in your critical focus time blocks, if you want to make a success of your online business. Hopefully the 5 tips above will make your efforts a little easier so, before you know it, you can outsource this stuff and spend more time on the things that are most inspiring to you.
Creating A Routine
Posted by: | CommentsOK. OK. I put my hand up.
Not only did I not complete my Critical Focus Time over the last few days, but I didn’t send my reports in either.
Learning to be disciplined and changing old habits is not as easy as simply choosing to do so.
No, hang on. Actually, it is. But only when the choice is made on a moment to moment basis. The temptation is to decide to work in a certain way, make a commitment to that and then expect it to happen. Forever and ever, amen.
Even though the rational mind knows it will take a bit of an effort and learning, there’s part of me that thinks that, once I’ve decided, it’s done.
But that’s not how it works. New habits need to be practised.
The trick is to not let my “failures” stop me. That’s what I’ve always done in the past – made a commitment, got started, got disappointed at the lack of early results, or just got plain bored so moved onto pastures new. But this year is about sticking with it and stick with it I will!
So . . . today’s another day and a new week to boot. Once more into the fray and all that.
This Week’s Challenge
The challenge I have set myself for this week is to do what I’d said I’d do in my “more on critical focus time post” on 29th March, i.e build in more routine. I’m curious to see what effect this will have, so it’s a worthwhile experiment.
To save you having to look back here’s the plan:
As I said last time . . . I’ll report back next week . . .
20th April – Update
Still made no progress on creating a routine so going to leave it for a while. I’m taking a couple of steps back and refocussing on completing my CFT reports each day. I think I’m doing the work but I can’t be certain as I’m not writing a report each day. I need to get that habit more fully entrenched.
Julia Uses The “F” Word
Posted by: | CommentsWell that was one crapola day! First one since I began the mentoring when I didn’t do any Critical Focus Time activities. I woke up bored with the whole thought of it and failed to push on through. So here I am. At 17.21. The end of the working day in other words. Still faffing about on the internet.
In my 1:1 with Ed last week I said I would rather wait and create a business that I enjoyed, i.e. blogging about this 12 month experience, than create something just to make money. And he mentioned a couple of blogs where people had set out with no intention of making money but had, none the less done so. And that, as long as I was willing to wait, then carrying on with writing this blog, as part of the mentoring, was fine with him.
One of the blogs was the Julie/Julia project which I’ve just visited whilst NOT doing my CFT.
The first thing that leapt out at me was . . . now don’t laugh . . . that she uses the “f” word. I was struck, not so much by the use of the word itself, but the style of her writing and the image of her it conjures up in my mind = Someone who knows her own mind and is not afraid to express herself.
Whilst writing this blog I’ve been aware of a certain reluctance to say what I’m really feeling, for all sorts of reasons, and part of me longs to have the courage just to write it as it is. I’m too old for this “caring what other people think” s**t. And yet, if I cared that much, why bother publishing a blog at all?
In Julia’s second post she writes:
“The Hows and Wherefores…
For the moment, I will not tackle the existential query, “Why, Julie? Why Julia? Why now?” Instead, I shall stick to explicating the rules of engagement.”
I like that she doesn’t answer the “why” question. Since, in my own life, I have found it an oft overrated one. Not particularly useful whilst, at the same time, one I seem addicted to asking . . .
. . . “Why Gillian? Why Ed? Why Now?”
True to form I attempted to answer those questions in my first three internet marketing coaching year posts. But, today, after an exhausting lack of focus I’m tempted to answer:
“Why Gillian? Why Ed? Why Now?”
“WHY THE BLOODY HELL NOT?!”
And as for the “rules of engagement” . . .
Here are mine:
- I will not struggle.
- If I’m not having fun I will take the time to step back and do something about it.
- I will honour the commitment I have made to stick with this for 12 months whilst applying “1″and “2″ above.
Creating a Productive Work Environment
Posted by: | CommentsI’m feeling pretty proud of myself for actually managing to put pen to paper today. It’s the first day back to work after the Easter break and I’m having a great deal of trouble cranking up the energy, not least because it’s a beautiful, sunny, spring day.
But these are the times when it’s especially important to keep your agreements with yourself. The longer I let things slide the harder it is to get going again and the longer it will be before I see results that will help to motivate me further. And, in the meantime, there’s the little boost in energy I always feel, when I’ve kept my agreements, especially when it took some effort to do so.
So, here I am in my favourite cafe, treating myself to a cappuccino and writing. And of all the “tricks” I have for developing my writing habit this one is my favourite. I find it very hard to write at home. It’s the same with any task I’m resisting. There are just too many distractions – too many excuses. But taking myself off to an environment I enjoy being in works a treat.
I find that even when I’m really struggling to write I will always produce something when I’m in the cafe. Even if it’s not particularly good. I also enjoying writing in the public library (reminds me of happy college days) and on a bench on the prom overlooking the beach.
A productive environment is an important factor in relation to motivation so I recommend experimenting with what works/doesn’t work for you. It’s not just about physical space either. I find I can’t write, for example, if there are songs playing in the background. Classical music I can manage but anything with words I can hear and I just can’t concentrate.
Sometimes I find lighting a candle on my desk helps me to tackle tasks I’ve been putting off. No idea why. There’s just something I find comforting about it.
So, I encourage you to experiment with different places and environmental conditions and build up a selection of circumstances that help you feel more motivated to work on those tasks you have been procrastinating over.
