Here are 10 reliable steps to help you as you experiment
1
BE SURE THAT 'THIS' REALLY IS YOUR DREAM – There are so many things you can dedicate your time, talent and abilities to and turning them into reality is 100 per cent about grit, so be sure ‘this’ is really, really what you want. When things get hard, that knowledge really, really helps.
2
IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT – That is if you’re prepared to become the person who can deliver it. Getting what we want is all about character – things like grit, determination, courage and patience are just some of the gems that will get us there. Commit fully to developing yours.
3
THINK OF IT AS A RESEARCH PROJECT – All businesses at the beginning are just ideas waiting to be proven true. This makes them research projects we’re experimenting with to find out what works and ditch what doesn’t quickly.
4
TURN IT INTO A SIMPLE PLAN – Break the idea down into steps and think no more than a one-page plan. Keep refining and adjusting this plan as you get more intel from the journey. The thinking and refinement steps are the most important ones.
5
PRIORITISE YOUR MONEY MACHINE – A business is an idea waiting to be turned into a money machine. Money is neither good nor bad, it just gives us options – the bigger the money machine, the bigger the difference we can make in the world.
6
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS – Build the habit of clarifying THE most important activities to focus on – the ones that if you do, will really progress things. Do this every month, week and EVERY day. This is not your to-do list – it’s your must-do list.
7
PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELF – If you’re resisting some action or activity that you think should be done, it’s likely because you’re not yet sure how to do it really well. Everything can be learnt, so prioritise getting the learning, then go practice until you’re awesome at it.
8
REVIEW, REFRESH, REINVENT – Complete the day (every day!) with this review (in this order): 1. What worked, 2. Why it worked, and 3. What needs to change tomorrow. This is important so we can do more of what’s working and catch up on what’s not, faster.
9
FIND YOUR SUPPORTERS – You haven’t been there yet, so you’re not supposed to know the answer to the future you’re intent on creating. Find others with relevant skills and knowledge who can help you work it out – most of these won’t need to be paid.
10
FIND YOUR BELIEVERS – Spend a lot of time selling your idea to people (other than your loved ones) and pay close attention to their responses. This is how we discover what people really want. When we deliver that, we’re in business.