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One Little Step – advice for wantabes and newbie entrepreneurs

Romain Bardout

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the discomfort of the unknown (starting your own business) is perceived to be greater than the discomfort of the known (working for 'the man') then the known will win out every time.

I can totally relate to that! I struggled for years between low income jobs and unemployment until I hear about entrepreneurship. It was a revelation to me! I never heard of that in my school years, and nobody runs a business in my family.

So I started a first project and I was so enthusiastic. And then I hit the reality wall...

And as of right now, what is holding me back is not the fear of the business world, or even the fear of failure. No, what I fear the most is myself. The thing I don't even know I don't know. Because It will be these things that I will discover too late that I don't know, when I will hit another wall.

What are your thoughts about this?
 

RazorCut

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And as of right now, what is holding me back is not the fear of the business world, or even the fear of failure. No, what I fear the most is myself. The thing I don't even know I don't know. Because It will be these things that I will discover too late that I don't know, when I will hit another wall.

What are your thoughts about this?

Don't fear what you don't know. It is a common trait and sees people over analyse everything to the point of distraction. Analysis paralysis is debilitating and will stop you dead in your tracks (I have that t-shirt in my closet somewhere and I certainly don't want to wear it again).

When you start a business is it not like a speeding train running out of control. You can learn along the way, it is not as if you only have minutes or seconds to make a life or death decision. Also be aware that you will learn far more from taking action than from trying to figure everything out with research and spreadsheets.

Also none of us know everything but there is power in numbers, in community. When you come across a problem there are many resources available to you and this is one of the finest on the Internet.

So take action, observe the results, ask questions, learn, adjust, reapply. If you aren't taking action you have nothing to measure so you can't move forward.

So I started a first project and I was so enthusiastic. And then I hit the reality wall...

What was this reality wall?
 

Romain Bardout

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What was this reality wall?

Well, I have the passion of aeronautics (see my picture?) and always dream of flying my airplane (now it is not a dream anymore, but a goal).

So, someone advise me to start a company around my passion, and it became a drone business project.

I get some appointments with a counselor for starting a business. I was so happy and enthusiastic, that I was contagious. And then this counselor propose me to become my business partner. The idea was, I would be building and flying the drones and he would find the customers and manage everything else.

The reality wall hit me exactly the way that MJ describes in his book about the partnership in business ! It just go south when each of us discover that the other one has no experience in business. That was so obvious ! I laugh at myself right now when I think about that.

My honey moon with my business idea totally blind me at the time!
 
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RazorCut

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Just spit balling here but is there anything stopping you creating a Drone register of qualified and insured professional fliers? Something like this:

Search, locate & hire licensed UK / ROI drone pilots | DSR | Drone Safe Register - UK's Largest Network of CAA Approved Drone Operators For Hire

You could create a lead gen business utilising some of @Andy Black techniques and sell those leads to professional drone pilots. Or charge them a fee to be on your database and promote the site so they get value from it. No experience should not be a barrier but a challenge.
 

Romain Bardout

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You could create a lead gen business utilising some of @Andy Black techniques

Interresting idea! Tough it would not work for me:

1) I am not a sell person, I am more a technical guy. So the lead generation thing is clearly not in my deck of cards.

2) I could of course become a professional drone pilot and sell my footages / services. But it will fail the CENTS commandments, especially Time, as I cannot scale. Basically it would be a job.

3) My failure teaches me to not burn my passions.
 

c.dream87

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I just wanted to offer a little encouragement to some of the lurkers here and those, either not yet in a position, or too fearful (for whatever reason) to move forward in their dreams.

For a wantabe entrepreneur this forum is amazing (and for the rest of us too of course). MJ has created something very special here. He is the gardener. He has cleared the land and tilled the soil. Provided safety from pests and shelter from the worst of the elements. He then planted the seed and watched it grow, and grow it has.

There is such a wealth of information in this garden and even more if you are willing to part with a few bucks to gain access to the walled garden called the INSIDERS (and you would be mad to miss out on what is available there).

You are fortunate to have before you EVERYTHING you need to get your business dreams off the ground. Here you are surrounded by entrepreneurs from all walks of life and all stages of success. From new start-ups to seasoned serial entrepreneurs and everything in between. Some start out motivated by money, some from a need to show to others they can be a success but all start from the deep-seated desire to choose their own destiny.

If you too have this desire you owe it to yourself to make a start, for the one thing you cannot buy in this life is its most precious commodity of all - time. Every day that goes by is a day that you will NEVER see again.

You can follow threads here that take you from inception to extraordinary success (and I encourage you to do so) but please don’t live your life through the success of others. Do not allow their success to act as a substitute for your own. See the path they have shared as a trail they have cleared so as to make your entrepreneurial journey easier and quicker. Use their successes as a catalyst to feed your own.

Remember YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE THE TRAILBLAZER. Do not think massive action is always required. If circumstances do not allow (or you do not have the confidence) then start off slow but START.

Immersing yourself in this forum, listening to motivational podcasts, reading self-help books is all well and good but is a total waste of your time and energy unless you TAKE ACTION.

JUST ONE LITTLE STEP – that is all I am asking you to take. One little step each and every day towards your goal. That thing that keeps bringing you here, that small spark of fire you feel in your belly. One little step will move you forward, it will help you gain confidence and momentum. It will show you that the path may wind but when you turn the corner it is still there for you to follow. One little step will help you realise your dreams.

Not sure what that first step should be? ASK for advice. This is not a book, it is a living breathing entity. Ask and, like magic, answers will appear. You don’t have to heed that advice but I encourage you to give it great consideration as there is a lot of hard earned wisdom here. That wisdom was earned with a lot of sweat, time and money and it is yours for the asking FREE. Don’t feel comfortable starting a thread on a public forum? Then reach out to those you admire first with a Private Message, just be respectful of their time. I wish this resource was available when I first started out 20 years ago.

So whatever is holding you back let it go. Remember it’s ok standing on the side-lines as a spectator but it’s much more fun to be on the field playing the game. You owe it to yourself so take off your coat and come join us.

Hello @RazorCut , sorry I do not understand what you mean with wantabe entrepreneur (sorry but I look at the forum with the Italian English translation)
 
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CalinPop

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That is so true man, I work in London supplying all the big solicitors aka lawyers in America with all their needs and their deeds, files and so on I`m doing the hard labour and most of them they are there is because of a degree but not a single sign of intelligence in their heads, Revolution and habit changing from my part is coming
 

Kennypaul

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Awesome post @RazorCut.Thank you.Wish I found this forum earlier too.
 

Bekit

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Sooooo much truth here, from beginning to end. Thank you @RazorCut . Wow.

I nominate this thread for gold status @MJ DeMarco @Andy Black

@RazorCut , do you think that there are other factors beyond the inertia created by the tension of the unknown exceeding the unhappiness with the current reality? I'm thinking of myself in a lot of these, just the things I'm facing and the resistance I'm experiencing. Because I'm a lot like those guys... and I don't want to be... but I feel like there's an immense number of factors opposing my progress forward.

For instance...

Perception. They don't perceive, as you do, that they're all sufficiently qualified to go out on their own, and even MORE qualified than other people who are already making it. This is a mindset issue that they probably need to handle before they will be able to break free.

Risk Tolerance. There's a huge potential upside when you start your own business, but there's a correspondingly huge potential for disaster. It feels risky to break ways with a predictable income and put yourself in a situation where everything's hanging on you to bring home the bacon. People need to feel at least a little bit "safe." And in the absence of safety, survival mode kicks in, your rational decision making ability goes way down, and you'll just cling to what you know.

Taking the first step. You started this thread with the advice to just take action. Take ONE step. Ask questions along the way. Don't be afraid to run into that problem 3 steps later that you don't know how to solve. Wait until you're ACTUALLY there and solve it then. Getting started requires that attitude of being willing to go ahead and take action, even though I don't have the roadmap scripted out for the next 6 months, the next year, the next 5 years, whatever. I have to say NO to perfectionism and not let that paralyze me.

Runway. If I'm barely making it from month to month because I'm deep in debt or barely paying my bills, I won't have the cushion to take that bold, decisive step away from what's comfortable and familiar. So the first problem I may have to solve is building that runway. Or at least... that may be the first problem I think I need to solve. There's a continuum where any given action could be boneheaded stupidity or an easy no-brainer, depending on the circumstances, and It's not easy to see the precise line where you're "good to go."

An action plan. On the flip side of the "get started already" argument, there is the very real need to have some kind of proof of concept before you leave your safety net and go "all in" on a venture. And even if I have massive skill and do world-class work in my field, I still might not have the skillset to go out and acquire customers and systematize my business income. And if I don't take action there, where it matters, I won't get the opportunity to DO the amazing work that I'm capable of. In other words, I need an action plan that makes me confident that I'm going to be able to sell.

Lining up all these things takes a lot of careful thought and preparation... or does it?

When you're doing this for the first time, it seems that progress is waaaay slower than it could be, as you figure every step out, one at a time.

Hello @RazorCut , sorry I do not understand what you mean with wantabe entrepreneur (sorry but I look at the forum with the Italian English translation)
@c.dream87 Here's the translation: wannabe - Dizionario inglese-italiano WordReference
 
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RazorCut

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Hello @RazorCut , sorry I do not understand what you mean with wantabe entrepreneur (sorry but I look at the forum with the Italian English translation)

Hi @c.dream87 sorry, its a colloquialism. It just means someone who wants to be an entrepreneur but has yet to start their journey. wantabe = want to be.

Hope that makes sense now.
 

RazorCut

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It just go south when each of us discover that the other one has no experience in business. That was so obvious ! I laugh at myself right now when I think about that.

Actually that makes ME laugh. All I see here are limiting beliefs. Think of any self made millionaires and billionaires in this world, both past and present and ask yourself did they have experience running a business before starting a business?

You think MJ had experience running a business before starting his business? You read the book. What about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Henry Ford, Jean-Claude Decaux, Francis Bouygues?

Take Musk, he dropped out of Stanford Uni after just 2 days to set up a business with his brother. He was 24. They got funding from angel investors at a time the Internet was taking off. He wanted to be CEO but they wouldn't let him!

Jeff Bezos (worlds richest man) quit his job to hawk books out of his garage (that's him below).

Jeff_Bezos_0.jpeg

My shortest definition of a business is 'providing goods or services for reward'. You give somebody something of value and they give you something of value in return. Don't over complicate it. You clean windows or mow lawns for people you have a business. Hell my son had a business selling penny sweets at school (until the teachers banned him). Don't over-complicate it.

it would not work for me:

1) I am not a sell person, I am more a technical guy. So the lead generation thing is clearly not in my deck of cards.

More limiting beliefs and fear of getting out of your comfort zone. Lead generation is Business to Business. You are offering a business owner a customer who is willing to pay them what they want for their services and all you ask in return is a small reward for the introduction. It pretty much sells itself.

I could go on but it would be pointless. You need to look at changing your mindset as, at the moment, you will find excuses in all directions.

Try reading something like The Saboteur Within. It may help you get over these stumbling blocks.
 

RazorCut

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Sooooo much truth here, from beginning to end. Thank you @RazorCut . Wow.

I nominate this thread for gold status @MJ DeMarco @Andy Black

Thanks for your kind words @Bekit

@RazorCut , do you think that there are other factors beyond the inertia created by the tension of the unknown exceeding the unhappiness with the current reality? I'm thinking of myself in a lot of these, just the things I'm facing and the resistance I'm experiencing. Because I'm a lot like those guys... and I don't want to be... but I feel like there's an immense number of factors opposing my progress forward.

For instance...

Perception. They don't perceive, as you do, that they're all sufficiently qualified to go out on their own, and even MORE qualified than other people who are already making it. This is a mindset issue that they probably need to handle before they will be able to break free.

Yes, there are many factors at play. It is very hard to take the first steps for many people. However the law of 80/20 means that it mostly boils down to some form of fear. The paralysis is from a fear of failure, or of the unknown, of not knowing enough, of not knowing what to do etc.. They may even feel overwhelmed at the perceived enormity of 'creating a business'. That again is a state of fear.

This fear makes everything look like an obstacle rather than an opportunity.

They all know they can earn money off their own backs, and all of them do it occasionally. They all do the odd ‘foreigner’ in an evening or weekend out of work time. The largest fear for them however will be the uncertainty of continuity of work which I'm guessing is one of your major issues. What happens if the work dries up?

Plus there will be an element of impostor syndrome at play as well. It's one thing for an employer to pay you as part of a group of people in a company, quite another for you to stand apart and command a fee directly from a client. No matter how irrational it is we can all succumb to doubting our abilities and therefore our worth to the market.

Risk Tolerance. There's a huge potential upside when you start your own business, but there's a correspondingly huge potential for disaster. It feels risky to break ways with a predictable income and put yourself in a situation where everything's hanging on you to bring home the bacon. People need to feel at least a little bit "safe." And in the absence of safety, survival mode kicks in, your rational decision making ability goes way down, and you'll just cling to what you know.

Very true which is why little steps rather than giant leaps are the order of the day. Keep a regular income coming in and slowly replace it with your business income. It's tough to do if you work a lot of hours. Sometimes it is better to take a lower paid job that free's up more time to work on your business.

The problem with a good salary is it is perceived as a secure safety net. Yes, it can be seen as a life saver, but equally that as a life taker.

turtle-shell.jpg

Taking the first step. You started this thread with the advice to just take action. Take ONE step. Ask questions along the way. Don't be afraid to run into that problem 3 steps later that you don't know how to solve. Wait until you're ACTUALLY there and solve it then. Getting started requires that attitude of being willing to go ahead and take action, even though I don't have the roadmap scripted out for the next 6 months, the next year, the next 5 years, whatever. I have to say NO to perfectionism and not let that paralyze me.

Everything is a process. It's like a recipe. Take a list of ingredients, measure them into a correct quantity and mix them in the right order. Then cook them for the right amount of time at the recommended temperature. Building a business is no different except you don't have an exact recipe to follow, just guidelines. Some parts that are off-grid you'll have to make up as you go along which is where forums like this come into play as other people have made similar recipes over the years so can help you avoid the pitfalls and get over the stumbling blocks.


Runway. If I'm barely making it from month to month because I'm deep in debt or barely paying my bills, I won't have the cushion to take that bold, decisive step away from what's comfortable and familiar. So the first problem I may have to solve is building that runway. Or at least... that may be the first problem I think I need to solve. There's a continuum where any given action could be boneheaded stupidity or an easy no-brainer, depending on the circumstances, and It's not easy to see the precise line where you're "good to go."

I’m not asking people to build a runway. Especially if this is their first gig (which for many reading this thread it will be). I’m just asking them to build a cycle track. It doesn’t even need paving, just flatten down the earth and remove any rocks and foliage blocking the way.

It doesn't have to be their main enterprise that they dream of building. It could be a side gig that enables them to cut back on the hours they do elsewhere or build up some savings to launch the business of their dreams.

Those little steps could be as simple visiting garage sales on a Saturday morning and selling what you found on eBay or Craigslist. There is loads of potential in charity and thrift shops. Even Bargain stores. I came across these protein powders the other day in a shop:

IMG_6103.jpg

I text my son to see if he wanted any as he is a body builder and uses the exact same product. I asked what he paid for his and the CHEAPEST price he could get anywhere online for the same product was £30. There was an opportunity right there.

An action plan. On the flip side of the "get started already" argument, there is the very real need to have some kind of proof of concept before you leave your safety net and go "all in" on a venture. And even if I have massive skill and do world-class work in my field, I still might not have the skillset to go out and acquire customers and systematize my business income. And if I don't take action there, where it matters, I won't get the opportunity to DO the amazing work that I'm capable of. In other words, I need an action plan that makes me confident that I'm going to be able to sell.

Lining up all these things takes a lot of careful thought and preparation... or does it?

When you're doing this for the first time, it seems that progress is waaaay slower than it could be, as you figure every step out, one at a time.

What would be your proof of concept? Is it enough for you to get clients or do you need validation that the work that you do works and provides value? That latter would take a little longer but not that long.

If you want clients as proof of concept I would suggest that you do what @Andy Black is a great proponent of. Ask yourself who has your customers. The obvious answer for you is marketing agencies. Small companies selling Facebook, Instagram and Adword marketing. They have clients that need your services, hell they probably could do use your services themselves.

How hard would it be to write a persuasive letter to a few dozen agencies to introduce yourself and offer your services. They could add it to their portfolio of products and add on a margin, or they could just recommend you to their clients once you had built up some form of relationship.

Fairly easy and quick to validate with zero cost, save time and effort.

For anyone still stuck in the starting blocks maybe have a read of Ready, Fire, Aim.
 
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Surf16

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Don't let this happen to you. Don't let the discomfort of the unknown hold you back. Find a way through little by little, step by step.

@RazorCut great information.
I have started the process of creating a new product. I am currently in the "testing the market" phase by creating the landing page. I am waiting for 3D images to post on it. After, I will direct people their through paid ads on FB and Google Adwords.

I know MJ says to be monogamous with one product, but I have a few more ideas for new products as well as adding value to others now that I have opened my mind to the Fastlane way of thinking.

Should I pursue the other ideas while I am waiting to validate the one I am creating the landing page for? My thought is once I get the validation that it is actually a product I will put my head down and only focus on that one.

Thoughts?
 

RazorCut

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Should I pursue the other ideas while I am waiting to validate the one I am creating the landing page for? My thought is once I get the validation that it is actually a product I will put my head down and only focus on that one.

It doesn't hurt to have other irons in the fire as long as you don't get unduly distracted by them. However I have been guilty in the past of spreading myself too thin with this thinking and ended up juggling several businesses at once and they all suffered.

If you are just exploring and know you can forgo action on the other ideas as soon as this bottleneck is overcome then fine but don't let shiny object syndrome take a hold.

MJ's advice to be monogamous is very sound so I would tread carefully as it is so easy to get pulled in multiple directions.
 
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Deleted50669

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The common Garden Snail can travel at a speed of 0.03 mph. At that rate that would make a tortoise seem like a race horse in comparison. Even at that tiny rate of movement it could travel over 63 miles in its short life span if it didn't stop.

Daily action is compounded. It can be a very powerful thing.

I am that snail pursuing software development. Just gotta work each day to build on what I've got, learn, stumble, get up, progress. It's not painful anymore, now it's just routine.
 
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@RazorCut your words of genius I have taken form this thread:

  • Every day that goes by is a day that you will NEVER see again.
  • Everything you do is a total waste of your time and energy unless you TAKE ACTION.
  • Ask yourself at the end of each and EVERY day "Have I progressed?
  • Have you tried and failed or failed to try?
  • Positive routine and habit pattern is the secret of success.
  • Forward motion creates momentum and momentum, once sufficiently built up, is very hard to stop.
  • "Tell me what you've done, and I'll tell you who you are."
  • Commit to a process, not a goal.
  • Don't give the best years of your life to building someone else's dreams. Build your own.
  • Daily action is compounded. It can be a very powerful thing.
  • Fear makes everything look like an obstacle rather than an opportunity.

Great job!
 

John F.

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Thanks for putting this together. Those of us still trying to get our business off the ground need a reminder to just keep taking action that moves you forward to your goal.
 
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RazorCut

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Ernman

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Don't let this happen to you. Don't let the discomfort of the unknown hold you back. Find a way through little by little, step by step.

Don't give the best years of your life to building someone else's dreams. Build your own.
Completely agree Razorcut! After 25 years in the Navy, I knew I wanted to get into business. Serving my country was always my honor and a choice made freely. But I knew it was a temp job and I was excited when the time came for me to join civilian life. Unfortunately, the books I read and counsel I received put me squarely in the slow lane. Yet inside me was a Fastlane driver itching to break out. Frustrated at one job, I got my MBA (classic slow lane) to get hired at another place for more pay. Finally made the break to start out on my own only to fail miserably. Landed back in a job. But the Fastlane keeps calling and I am again preparing my exit strategy. I applaud the many younger people in this forum who putting fear aside to get in the Fastlane. If any of them are reading this post please know that whatever discomfort you feel in the Fastlane is NOTHING compared to the long term, life sucking, drag, of working for someone else.
 

RazorCut

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I applaud the many younger people in this forum who putting fear aside to get in the Fastlane. If any of them are reading this post please know that whatever discomfort you feel in the Fastlane is NOTHING compared to the long term, life sucking, drag, of working for someone else.

Now that is sage advice. The problem with being young is we think we have all the time in the world. Then in a blink of an eye we wonder where all that time went.

Time slips away unnoticed. Make the most of every minute and keep pushing forward in your quests. Never live a day without a purpose. If you have found this forum there is no excuse for wasting your life.
 
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RazorCut

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Taking one little step regularly moves us towards our goals. The more often we do it the more of a habit it becomes, and the less chance there is of us succumbing to procrastination.

One of the most important aspects in taking one little step is of course in learning to start. However what will help enormously in reducing the time it takes to turn those little steps into success is in our ability to focus. To concentrate on what matters most, to stay with something and see it through until completion.

The problem we face in modern society is that we have become highly skilled in the art of distraction.

Think about that for a moment. To become skilled at anything we need to practice. Whether that is to create muscle memory or cognitive ability, or master something to the point where we can shift it to our subconscious so as to automate it without any conscious effort.

How many hours a day do you practice deep concentration? The art of singular focus on a specific task?

The answer is probably not many and not very often. Now compare that to the constant ongoing practice of distraction. Is it any wonder why we feel so dysfunctional and struggle to move forward?

When your phone stirs from slumber how quickly do you check that notification? When working how often are you disturbed? How often do you check social media? Email? The news? What things during your day take your attention away from the task at hand? What is constantly vying for your attention in your day?

If you give in to these constant impulses to check all these different medias you are practising, and reinforcing, this art of distraction. And I’m willing to bet that most of us are practising this art at least 10 hours a day. Imagine how skilled you could be if you chose a subject and practised it consistently for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now string those weeks together into years and that is how much of a skilled practitioner you are of distraction. Scary isn’t it?

The purpose of this post is just to get you to think over the next 24 hours or so about the constant bombardment of distractions in your life. We have become so accustomed to them that they often happen without our conscious awareness most of the time. So try if you will to become consciously aware. Recognise them for what they are and consider if they are slowing down your entrepreneurial progress.

Several times a day stop and think ‘What am I working on now? Does it have a purpose or is it a distraction?’, ‘Is it taking me towards my goals’ and ‘how can I reduce these daily distractions and improve my focus to allow me to move closer to my goals sooner’.

I've been dwelling on this for days. I'm home now for several weeks working towards launching my next business and I knew it would take a few days to settle in. I'm at the stage where I require a creative flow that needs to last hours at a time to move forward. But I've found it exceedingly difficult to create this sustained focus. I find it fairly easy to prioritise and make a start but then my attention keeps being drawn away and I lose my train of thought.

I knew this would happen and I mentioned it in another thread. But I thought it would take a couple of days at most to overcome. I'm now on day 4 and I've only just had a breakthrough.

I'm sat in a quiet room, in a quiet village with little distractions, and time to focus. My phone is on charge and silent at the other end of the room. Even though it's a very quiet environment I was still finding my mind wandering off plan. I'd be focusing then I'd have this impulse to check a website, or a friends status. See what the latest news was. A random thought would occur to me about something happening in a few days time so I'd impulsively check the weather forecast for that day. It has been driving me nuts.

I have taken to wearing headphones to play background music or focus tracks to aid my concentration (there are loads on YouTube if you find them helpful). However, I've noticed today that I've started to wear the headphones whilst not playing anything at all. They are noise cancelling and I've found that they are having the effect of almost putting me into a state of mental isolation. Like being in a floatation, or isolation tank. Cutting me off from the world and allowing this odd sensation of 'nothingness' to permeate my being. And it's working. Part of this focus that I am now being able to reach is more than likely due to 4 days of incremental improvements due to 10+ hours a day of practice of course. But I will take any artificial help I can find.

Anyway I just wanted to share with you my failings and frustrations of the past few days and also hopefully get you to become more aware of the distractions all around you, and how unknowingly we are practising them to perfection, and not fully appreciating the harm that it is doing to us.
 
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RazorCut

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Can we just upload all of Fastlane like Neo did his martial arts? :)

I know Kung fu...and Fastlane.

:rofl: If only it were that easy.

Jim Rohn's mentor once told him "Don't wish it was easier, wish that you were better".

“Don't wish it was easier wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom”
 
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@RazorCut ...first off thanks for taking the time to write this thread of encouragement & action steps, and to keep it going.

You have a lovely style of writing, and it makes for easy reading and also a sense of connection with you...that you're rooting for all the people who are trying and cheering us on.

Distraction...that happens to be my middle name! What works for me is very short bursts of focus.
I have found that if I schedule it in after a walk outside then I'm more ready to "settle down" and my mind is quieter. There have been numerous studies showing this correlation of being in nature and lowered stress and that being outside boosts your feelings of happiness & well-being.
Going into a state of concentration after walking then seems like a natural progression for me and not something that I'm punishing my ever active mind with.

Maybe others can see if this may help them too.
 

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:rofl: If only it were that easy.

Jim Rohn's mentor once told him "Don't wish it was easier, wish that you were better".

“Don't wish it was easier wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom”


hahaha I want to also learn speed reading if there was an easier way!
 

RazorCut

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hahaha I want to also learn speed reading if there was an easier way!

As you are a Matrix fan:

View attachment cc19b6f9-67d8-4b63-a457-08343a466039.mp4













So maybe you are asking the wrong question? Ask yourself why you need to speed read. More than likely it is to absorb the salient points of a book as quickly (efficiently) as possible. Right? You want to get to the meat of the subject as you don’t have the time, nor the inclination for all that filler.

Parento’s law applies to everything including books. But instead of being an 80/20 imbalance it is probably more likely to be 95/5 or even 99/1, as books are basically padded out to get to what is deemed by the publishers as the right number of words to represent value.

Let’s face it if a 302 page book (my copy of Richards Kock’s The 80 20 Principle in this case) was distilled down to 15 pages (5% of 302) then you would probably hesitate to spend the current price of $12.82 on Amazon.com for a copy. It’s just our human nature to want more bang for our bucks.

So really the question could be, not "how do I learn to speed read?" but "how do I find a reliable way to extract that 5% or less?" Agreed?

There are several good techniques that will help you accomplish that and there are also sites where someone else has done all the hard work for you and distilled the essence of a books wisdom into a few pages.

One such site is Book Summaries | 100+ Good Book Summaries Organized by Category

If you still are seriously interested in actual speed reading however you can find the Cheat Sheet for Speed Reading For Dummies right here
 
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RazorCut

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@RazorCut ...first off thanks for taking the time to write this thread of encouragement & action steps, and to keep it going.

You have a lovely style of writing, and it makes for easy reading and also a sense of connection with you...that you're rooting for all the people who are trying and cheering us on.

Thanks Daisy. I really appreciate your comments.

Distraction...that happens to be my middle name! What works for me is very short bursts of focus.
I have found that if I schedule it in after a walk outside then I'm more ready to "settle down" and my mind is quieter. There have been numerous studies showing this correlation of being in nature and lowered stress and that being outside boosts your feelings of happiness & well-being.
Going into a state of concentration after walking then seems like a natural progression for me and not something that I'm punishing my ever active mind with.

Maybe others can see if this may help them too.

Yes, I usually use a Pomodoro app on my PC called Focus 10 (its's free) which I usually have set up for 30 or 45 minute sessions with 10 to 15 minute down times. However I'm currently needing 2-4 hour sessions of deep concentration so I have it turned off at the moment.

I totally agree with everything you said. Walking is so important to mental health and clarity it's insane (and as you say, borne out by many studies). As well as all the health benefits I find it can have a huge impact on insight and overcoming mental barriers. So much so that I try to get out into nature and walk everyday.

I'm fortunate in living in a village surrounded by forest so it's only a few minutes walk away in any direction. It's not always the best of weather of course but I do feel rejuvenated when I get back (I have several hiking routes that range from 40 minutes to a couple of hours). I never, ever feel that time is wasted and often return with solutions to problems I wanted to overcome (and at peace, having spent that time without modern distractions).

Thanks again for highlighting those benefits.
 

MitchM

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Taking one little step regularly moves us towards our goals. The more often we do it the more of a habit it becomes, and the less chance there is of us succumbing to procrastination.

One of the most important aspects in taking one little step is of course in learning to start. However what will help enormously in reducing the time it takes to turn those little steps into success is in our ability to focus. To concentrate on what matters most, to stay with something and see it through until completion.

The problem we face in modern society is that we have become highly skilled in the art of distraction.

Think about that for a moment. To become skilled at anything we need to practice. Whether that is to create muscle memory or cognitive ability, or master something to the point where we can shift it to our subconscious so as to automate it without any conscious effort.

How many hours a day do you practice deep concentration? The art of singular focus on a specific task?

The answer is probably not many and not very often. Now compare that to the constant ongoing practice of distraction. Is it any wonder why we feel so dysfunctional and struggle to move forward?

When your phone stirs from slumber how quickly do you check that notification? When working how often are you disturbed? How often do you check social media? Email? The news? What things during your day take your attention away from the task at hand? What is constantly vying for your attention in your day?

If you give in to these constant impulses to check all these different medias you are practising, and reinforcing, this art of distraction. And I’m willing to bet that most of us are practising this art at least 10 hours a day. Imagine how skilled you could be if you chose a subject and practised it consistently for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now string those weeks together into years and that is how much of a skilled practitioner you are of distraction. Scary isn’t it?

The purpose of this post is just to get you to think over the next 24 hours or so about the constant bombardment of distractions in your life. We have become so accustomed to them that they often happen without our conscious awareness most of the time. So try if you will to become consciously aware. Recognise them for what they are and consider if they are slowing down your entrepreneurial progress.

Several times a day stop and think ‘What am I working on now? Does it have a purpose or is it a distraction?’, ‘Is it taking me towards my goals’ and ‘how can I reduce these daily distractions and improve my focus to allow me to move closer to my goals sooner’.

I've been dwelling on this for days. I'm home now for several weeks working towards launching my next business and I knew it would take a few days to settle in. I'm at the stage where I require a creative flow that needs to last hours at a time to move forward. But I've found it exceedingly difficult to create this sustained focus. I find it fairly easy to prioritise and make a start but then my attention keeps being drawn away and I lose my train of thought.

I knew this would happen and I mentioned it in another thread. But I thought it would take a couple of days at most to overcome. I'm now on day 4 and I've only just had a breakthrough.

I'm sat in a quiet room, in a quiet village with little distractions, and time to focus. My phone is on charge and silent at the other end of the room. Even though it's a very quiet environment I was still finding my mind wandering off plan. I'd be focusing then I'd have this impulse to check a website, or a friends status. See what the latest news was. A random thought would occur to me about something happening in a few days time so I'd impulsively check the weather forecast for that day. It has been driving me nuts.

I have taken to wearing headphones to play background music or focus tracks to aid my concentration (there are loads on YouTube if you find them helpful). However, I've noticed today that I've started to wear the headphones whilst not playing anything at all. They are noise cancelling and I've found that they are having the effect of almost putting me into a state of mental isolation. Like being in a floatation, or isolation tank. Cutting me off from the world and allowing this odd sensation of 'nothingness' to permeate my being. And it's working. Part of this focus that I am now being able to reach is more than likely due to 4 days of incremental improvements due to 10+ hours a day of practice of course. But I will take any artificial help I can find.

Anyway I just wanted to share with you my failings and frustrations of the past few days and also hopefully get you to become more aware of the distractions all around you, and how unknowingly we are practising them to perfection, and not fully appreciating the harm that it is doing to us.
I actually often wear those soft earplugs While I’m working and it’s amazing how much more focused I become.

I think we’re wired to be wary of all of the little sounds we can hear due to our ancestors having to worry about predators - and this causes us to get distracted easily and often.

Silence / focus music works wonders.
 

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