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Launching a business is hard.
It is scary to throw yourself out there in front of an online crowd you don’t know.
You care about making a difference in their life, and that adds a lot of pressure on how to make sure you help those people, or how to overcome your inner critics.
Add to that the overwhelming flood of marketing information you find online, and it’s a lot to digest when you are by yourself.
Learning about Marketing strategies is important, but if you are getting started on your business and if you are too overwhelmed and stressed, instead focus on testing your idea and tackle one objective at a time.
Let’s make things happen. Shall we?
Why changing hat will increase your chance of success
I would like you to temporarily trade your marketing hat for a project manager hat so you can focus on executing your plans.
From now on, transform your objectives into projects.
When you become a project manager, you focus your attention on how to complete your project, instead of letting your emotions and fears tell you why you can’t succeed.
Managing your project also helps you create a timeline and set concrete steps to get things done.
Wear your project manager hat and get your work done. Click To TweetWhat to do when you hit a wall
To come back to Cara, when she hits a technical roadblock, it’s not a fun time for her but after letting her emotions surface, she then switches into execution mode and lists what needs to be done.
If needed, she also takes some classes or gets external help.
However, the important lesson is that she doesn’t stop her journey each time she is in front of a wall. She learns how to break through it, or she takes a different path.
I would like you to do the same thing: don’t give up on changing your life if that is important to you. There is always a way to move toward your goal.
Focus your energy on finding other ways to get where you want to be.
Focus on the How instead of the reasons why you can't reach your goals.Click To TweetBring your project to completion
In your new role as a project manager, here is what to do:
- Clarify your project. Be clear about the problem you solve and about whom you help.
- Define what you would consider as a successful project.
- A project has a beginning and an end date, so write down those dates.
- Create metrics to track your progress. What would be your number one metric?
- In your timeline, set intermediate deadlines and celebrate victories each time you reach a milestone. Acknowledging your wins, even if they are small, will help you grow your confidence and see how much you have accomplished. When you feel down, remember those wins.
- List the different activities that need to be done to implement your project. Break them down into small and concrete tasks to ensure you will complete them.
- Don’t forget to list the challenges you might face so you can consider them in your execution plan.
- List the resources you will need regarding budget, tools, and people. Don’t underestimate how much you can accomplish with external help from a supportive community, contractors you hire, or mentors and coaches who could guide you along your journey.
Become a business owner
To become a successful business owner, take your project seriously and invest in it. When I say invest, it’s not only about money but also about your time.
Adopt the mindset of a business owner now, instead of waiting until you have your first customers.
It’s not about working on your business when we feel like it. Delegate the tasks that drain you.
To work consistently on your project, use an agenda to schedule the time to work on your business daily. At some point, it will become a habit.
You can start with only 25 minutes per day on your business until you are comfortable spending more time on it.
Plan and execute
If you already have a busy agenda, see how you could get rid of distracting activities that prevent you from creating the lifestyle you desire.
Check your schedule the night before, so you know what you will do the next day.
Don’t keep your project plan in your head.
If you still struggle with implementing your project, remember about why it is so important for you to get it done.
Imagine how it would change your life to achieve your goal.
Take Action
Your mission for this week is to pick one objective that is important for you to achieve.
Then, put on your project manager hat and create your project description to achieve your goal.
Schedule some time to list what you must do to complete the project.
If you are not familiar with project management, I recommend you start with a smaller goal and create a project that can be done within the next 30 days. It will help you see how easy it is for you to create your task list and the associated timeline to get things done.
If you need help to plan your project, don’t hesitate to contact me.
What are you currently working on? Post the description of your project in the comment section below.
Until next time, keep moving forward, one project at a time.
Show Notes
- Follow Thuy on Twitter
- Connect with Thuy on Facebook
- Connect with Thuy on LinkedIn
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