Turn Ideas Into Action: Step-By-Step Process to Achieve Your Big Business Dreams
We’ve all been there as a business owner:
You have a project in mind to help move your business forward but even with the best of intentions it keeps getting pushed to the back burner in favour of your “right now” business (and life!) tasks.
Whether it’s updating your website, creating a new lead magnet and welcome sequence, crafting that new course or something else entirely; it can be tough to prioritize those projects when your day-to-day is getting in your way.
Before you keep beating yourself up for procrastinating and asking yourself “Why can’t I just do this?!”, give yourself some grace and know that you’re not alone. Running a business often means juggling a lot of balls while also wearing several different hats.
The good news is, with some simple planning and self-awareness I can help you break those projects down into manageable steps so you can say “goodbye” to overthinking and “hello” to making CEO-moves in your business.
In this post we’re going to cover:
How to clarify the vision and why behind your project.
The #1 tip for planning and executing your project with ease.
What “CEO time” is and how to make it part of your schedule.
Different types of motivation and finding what works best for you.
Clarify your vision and your why.
First things first it’s important to clarify your vision and determine how this project is actually going to benefit your business.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Why do I want to do this thing and is it aligned with the vision and core values of my business? (Versus doing it just to keep up with what others are doing…)
What are the top 3 ways that this is going to benefit my business and how?
Do I have to do this myself or would my energy and resources be better spent by outsourcing it to a professional?
If you have more than one project in mind, it would also be helpful to write them all down and then sort them in order of priority so you can focus on one at a time.
Get super specific.
In order to plan and execute your project it’s important to get clear on what the project actually entails.
If you just write “Create Freebie and Welcome Sequence” on your to-do list day after day, it’s way too broad with too many moving parts and you’ll likely feel overwhelmed because you haven’t clarified exactly what the project entails or where to start.
Instead, break the project down into the sum of its parts and the more specific you can be, the better.
For example:
Create Freebie & Welcome Sequence:
Brainstorm idea for lead magnet.
Brainstorm topics for 5 welcome sequence emails.
Create lead magnet.
Write email #1 - delivery email.
Write email #2 - introduction email.
Write email #3 - sharing value email.
Write email #4 - limiting belief email.
Write email #5 - invitation and small offer email.
Create landing page for lead magnet.
Set-up email service provider to tag new subscribers & send email sequence.
Test lead magnet & welcome sequence.
Create social media post to promote new lead magnet.
Share your new lead magnet on social media.
Although it may look like a lot, when you list out each individual step it takes the guesswork out of what needs to get done and breaks it down into manageable steps that you can work through and check off one at a time.
Not only does this make it easier for your brain to digest and initiate, but the act of checking items off as you go will act as “mini wins” to give you a boost and the confidence to keep going.
Now let’s talk about how to actually get them done.
Think like a CEO.
Business tasks and responsibilities usually fall into one of three categories:
Working IN your business: what you get paid to do.
Working FOR your business: tasks that keep your business running day-to-day, i.e emails, invoicing.
Working ON your business: things that help to grow and move your business forward.
Oftentimes we are so busy working IN and FOR our business that we don’t make time to work ON our business.
Instead of allowing yourself to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of running your business, I encourage you to think like a CEO and prioritize time to work ON your business on a regular basis.
You will do this by blocking off time and scheduling it in just as you would a client meeting or an appointment.
The amount of time and frequency that you dedicate to your “CEO time” and working ON your business will depend on the unique circumstances of your business and life, but here are a few ideas depending on your energy and how you work best:
Block off one afternoon or full day each week.
Block off one or two hours first thing in the morning each day.
Block off a “business retreat” weekend once a month.
Hot tip:
Once you’ve blocked off your “CEO time” it may also help to assign the steps you’re going to work on to specific dates or time blocks so you can stay focused on the big picture and avoid letting any last minute tasks interfere with your plan.
How to stay motivated.
Staying motivated to work on your project will depend on what drives you.
If you’re someone who is intrinsically motivated then the satisfaction of chipping away at a big project, checking things off of your to-do list and the pride of putting it out into the world may be enough to keep you going.
If you’re someone who is extrinsically motivated then you may need to implement some external rewards to keep your motivation high, such as:
Celebrate your mini-wins with rewards along the way.
Partner up with a business buddy to check-in and cheer one another on.
Hire a business mentor to work with you and provide gentle accountability.
If you’ve read through this post and are still feeling overwhelmed about how to plan and execute your project, my Business Mentorship Packages will provide the guidance, resources and accountability needed to get your project off of your to-do list and out into the world.
However you decide to tackle your project, remember to tune into your energy and what works best for YOU so you can make the process as easy and enjoyable as possible.