Getting on the Court and Taking Action

[ZCP]

when will you sell something?

quick dicking around and provide value.

 

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[RandD]

I’ve created this thread to hold myself accountable and stop the action-faking. I intend to update this weekly.

The Why

I am doing this to have a roof over my head. That’s the bottom line.

Since quitting my high-paying job to follow my dreams 4 years ago, I’ve been living on my savings. This included 2 years of travel. During this time, my girlfriend and Dad both died suddenly on different continents within 24 hours of each other. I found my girlfriend’s death particularly challenging to deal with. The grieving took time to dissipate but I now accept the situation. I have no excuses.

My savings will probably last another 4 to 6 months but watching them dwindle down is bullsh*t that I can no longer accept.

The Present Situation

I’ve started a copywriting business with the help of @Lex DeVille's 15 day copywriting challenge.

I completed several proofreading and content jobs for a client on Upwork, most of them for cheap to get started with the last one at a better rate (US$25/hour). Upwork is a good tool but it is not my end goal.

I used to work for a UK-headquartered international consultancy. I identified an opportunity to improve their website’s 300+ project and industry case studies. They are inconsistent; some have errors, and many sell the company’s services poorly. I spoke with my former boss who still works for them and he gave some good tips. I’ve researched and obtained the contacts of the global headquarters’ Communications and Marketing Department head. I need to now write and send the proposal.

As a first significant proposal that is going to a former employer, I want to make it perfect. However, I know the most important thing is to just do it. I know I can provide value to them and have the skills to do the proposed job but have doubts on how to structure and price the proposal and how they will view my inconsistent work history. However, whether they accept it or not is not the critical issue. The most important thing is to get on the court and take action.

I recently decided to diversify into WordPress-based website design in addition to copywriting. A friend who runs her own consultancy and mentors businesses suggested I do this as from her experience clients will not just want copy but a website as well. Although initially reluctant, I now see it makes perfect sense and is a good opportunity to create monthly recurring income when properly managed. I started my personal blog more than 15 years ago and have dabbled with WordPress for years but only superficially. I will learn more, create sites and build my portfolio.

I created, host and manage my Toastmasters club’s website, which the president has asked me to update. This is a good learning opportunity. It’s not a paid gig, but the experience/portfolio is important initially. I also have a few simple websites that I created more than a decade ago that dribble AdSense income. They need revamping and are also good portfolio-building opportunities.

Goals

In the next 3 months:
Help others enough to earn AU$5,000 per month. This would comfortably cover all my expenses (including the $2,210 monthly mortgage payment).

Be ready to move from Perth to Adelaide to be closer to family, all of whom live around Adelaide. To make this move a success I need to:

• Sort out my remaining gear using the KonMari method. I love this method and went through my clothes, books and toiletries last year but then stopped
• Prepare my house for sale or rent. I’m leaning towards selling in the spring even though the market is down as:

1. I want to simplify my life so I can focus on the more important things of business, family and setting myself up to live and travel anywhere in the world
2. The strata complex my unit in is 40 years old and could become a money sink
3. There have been some neighbour issues which I will be happy to leave forever
4. I want to kiss my mortgage goodbye (because of my LVR, I pay a higher interest rate than I otherwise should)

I’ve also just joined a gym for the first time ever, partly to improve my self-esteem.

Longer Term:
Use CENTS and provide enough SUCS to have a $100,000 monthly income. This may or may not be in a related business. The end goal is to have complete freedom via a $10,000,000+ nest egg.

What I Will Do in the Next Week

1. Write and send the proposal to my former company’s headquarters
2. Decide whether to use Divi or not for my WordPress sites
3. Update my Toastmasters club’s website
4. Finish the Blue Ocean Strategy audiobook
5. Use a PT at the gym to create a personalised program I can follow in my own time
   
6. Sort out my kitchen gear, stationery, electrical gear, recreational gear and electronics, selling, giving away or throwing out what's I don't want
   
7. Invite my landscape gardener friend around for a coffee and get his ideas on what I should do with the garden in preparation to sell/rent

 

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[RandD]

My last week wasn't very productive and I didn't get done what I stated. On Friday, instead of doing the same thing and expecting a different result I decided to make some changes.

Previously I've been doing The Miracle Morning's SAVERS with waning impact. On Saturday I went for a run first and didn't do some of the other steps. I then had a cold shower (before the hot water arrived) and dressed in my old work clothes of business pants and shirt despite being based at home.

The exercise first (instead of meditation) gave the day a spark. Wearing business clothes significantly improved my focus and had an effect psychologically. Going ahead, I will exercise first each day and each work day will wear business clothes.

I had struggled with a few technology problems during the week, including a few issues with Divi. Those are hopefully now behind.

On Sunday I went through my kitchen gear and discarded a huge amount using the KonMari method. It felt good and I will focus on going through my remaining gear to get the house in great shape. I know it sounds like action-faking and maybe it is. However, I am certain I will feel great and be able to focus on work afterwards.

What I Stated I would do:

1. Write and send the proposal to my former company’s headquarters TO DO
   
2. Decide whether to use Divi or not for my WordPress sites DONE
   
3. Update my Toastmasters club’s website TO DO
   
4. Finish the Blue Ocean Strategy audiobook TO DO
   
5. Use a PT at the gym to create a personalised program I can follow in my own time
   
6. Sort out my kitchen gear, stationery, electrical gear, recreational gear and electronics, selling, giving away or throwing out what's I don't want PARTIALLY DONE
   
7. Invite my landscape gardener friend around for a coffee and get his ideas on what I should do with the garden in preparation to sell/rent DONE

What I Will Do in the Next Week

1. Finish sorting out all my gear. This is my priority. Once that is done, I will get back to the websites.

​

 

[RandD]

Checking back in to acknowledge I haven't taken action as I said I would. I returned to my old ways of procrastination and action-faking. This has wasted time and delayed any entry to the fastlane.

To develop the discipline and habits required to create the life I want I needed to take new and decisive action. I saw @Fox's 75 Hard thread and began the challenge on on the 7th of July. I'm now on day 12 of my second attempt. I will write about it more on that thread but I can say that the challenge both sucks and is awesome. I am beginning to see results and know seeing it through to 75 days will be a real breakthrough for me.

I'm also working on getting my house ready to put it on the market ASAP with a target listing date of 31 August. Before the house sells and settles, for liquidity, I will have to hustle and sell possessions/domain names and I may have to borrow money, which I don't want to do, but this is the result I have created.

This seems promising, but it is it something you can build on?

Good question. Probably not, it was envisaged as a one-off although I haven't got on the court and found out the answer yet.

This is real planning and execution; clear cut with no holds barred and little to no fear.

You mentioned starting with lex's copywriting thread; I assume you lept into action and clawed open a revenue stream within those first 15 days? What was your experience going into that field like?

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

Most of the Upwork jobs wanted the cheapest rate and needed to be trawled through. I did have one repeat customer who I did fixed-price work for but they were not that reliable and while they appreciated the level of my work, they did not value it.

 

[NMdad]

I like the exercise first, cold shower, & business attire--you're priming yourself for productive action during the day.

A couple questions:

• What's the rep (i.e., repetition) you need to do daily? (Like with weight training, how the final hardest rep is what builds strength).
• How can you acquire clients faster? What do prospects need to see for them to sign up with you (and how can you show them that)?

 

[NMdad]

Correct, what rep do you need to repeat every day that'd move your business forward? Calling/emailing prospective clients?

 

[RandD]

when will you sell something?

quick dicking around and provide value.

Agree. I have set up a meeting with the construction company neighbour for Wednesday and will create an example website to show him how his could look like.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

As a first significant proposal that is going to a former employer, I want to make it perfect. However, I know the most important thing is to just do it. I know I can provide value to them and have the skills to do the proposed job but have doubts on how to structure and price the proposal and how they will view my inconsistent work history.

This seems promising, but it is it something you can build on?

 

[Siddhartha]

This is real planning and execution; clear cut with no holds barred and little to no fear.

You mentioned starting with lex's copywriting thread; I assume you lept into action and clawed open a revenue stream within those first 15 days? What was your experience going into that field like?

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

 

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[RandD]

NMdad,
Thank you for your post.

In response to your questions:

What's the rep (i.e., repetition) you need to do daily? (Like with weight training, how the final hardest rep is what builds strength).

Do you mean for business?

How can you acquire clients faster? What do prospects need to see for them to sign up with you (and how can you show them that)?

I want to show them examples of my work. Although I've used WordPress for several years, the websites I've created have been standard. The first custom example I'm working on is my Toastmasters club's website.

I also have a neighbour who, after a few decades in the building industry, started his own company building custom homes. I've heard he's struggling to sell a home he built. The company's website is cheap and not reflective of the building standard described in the copy (the title even still has "Just another WordPress site" in it). My plan is to create an example website to show him how his could be so much better.

 

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[RandD]

Correct, what rep do you need to repeat every day that'd move your business forward? Calling/emailing prospective clients?

That's a great suggestion and something I will commit to once I've finished tidying my house up in the next day or so and built my first one or two custom websites.