Weekly Progress: What will you get done this week?

[MJ DeMarco]

Every morning I wake up and this is what I see.

About 2 hours are dedicated to habits that move the meter on my life, from health to business.



All of these are habits that I do daily.

This is how I win my week.

And this is how I win my month.

And the year.

And life.

Notice, I'm not focused on some esoteric goal next year.

I'm focused on the day and the week.

It's not rocket science.

Do what needs to be done, and the rest falls into place.

 

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[Andy Black]

Week Commencing Monday 25-Mar-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

 

[Oso]

Week Commencing Monday 25-Mar-24

We're already nearing April... Bloody hell.

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

Successfully completing my 3 day flipping trip.

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

The 3 day trip, cross-posting items to flip across several platforms.
My agency has more or less fully shifted to PPC/SEO/App Dev.

3) What are you not doing but should be?

The time for me to revisit and update the processes within my agency is coming fast. At this point, I've decided to officially hire an operations manager, but I've chosen to hire someone US-based. I've made a few job postings and have received decent results.

I should be going through said results, and reaching out to schedule interviews. I may end up scheduling Zoom interviews while I'm on the road.

Furthermore, my first TCG app will be releasing in a few months, so we really need to start marketing it fully.

4) Who will you help this week?

I am hoping to drop my thread for tech newbies this week. Hopefully it's good enough to qualify as "help."

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

Probably flipping, tbh.

It's fun, I love it, and I've been making obnoxious profits off of it. Unfortunately, however, I know it isn't sustainable, and I know it's ultimately not the direction I'd like my life to go.

I believe refocusing on my agency and my TCG company would benefit me immensely. Truth be told, I think after spending the last ~5 years straight grinding, flipping is, in a way, my version of giving myself a vacation.

Cheers.

 

[harumi]

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?
This week -
Finish Documentation: there's few outstanding bits still needing work!
Get 15 Testers: I have 4 so far, will get 15 this week.
Feedback + Prep for Release: reading and actioning user feedback to get the App to Googles Play Store for next week.

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?
Getting myself free time. This week im taking time off regular job for a week to focus on biz + it's Easter.

3) Who will you help this week?
I'm making new connections this week so it'll be interesting to see!

4) What are you not doing but should be?
I would like to wake up earlier to see what my productivity is like in the mornings.

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?
Getting stuck on this question for too long, haha!

 

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[WJK]

My books:

Working on getting reviews on the ones published. Got the next one just about ready to publish.

Got to write the blurb for the back of my kids' Math Activity books this week. I have the cover chosen.

Have 2/3rds of my first book recorded and edited for Audiable. I have learned how to dictate it, make the notes in the manuscript to prompt my edits, and then edit the recording. And I can join the different recordings to make my master file. Inch by inch, life's cinch.

Rentals:

Everything is fine -- all rented. Turned down an offer to buy property Saturday. The timing is bad and I'm comfortable with things as they are. The prospective buy said to put him at the front of the line when I'm ready.

The plow truck is still down. We hope the driveline is finished today so we can pick it up. Spring is happening and things are starting to melt. We call this season "Break Up".

My off-site rehab project:

Working on the drywall and putting the gas-burning log stove into the family room. We'll need more parts to hook up that stove and the fireplace store is 60 miles away and 3 towns over. Oh well. I always wanted to make a trip today.

New business:

I am thinking about starting a new business selling stuff to gift stores for the tourist trade here in Alaska. I'm looking at it seriously. It's just for fun. I tried to do it 25 or 30 years ago, but now it is a lot more doable. I already have a lot of the moving parts I will need.

 

[Epynok]

Every morning I wake up and this is what I see.

About 2 hours are dedicated to habits that move the meter on my life, from health to business.

View attachment 54860

All of these are habits that I do daily.

This is how I win my week.

And this is how I win my month.

And the year.

And life.

Notice, I'm not focused on some esoteric goal next year.

I'm focused on the day and the week.

It's not rocket science.

Do what needs to be done, and the rest falls into place.

I noticed that you are focused on making progress on a new book.

When will this book be published?

 

[Andy Black]

Week Commencing Monday 08-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

 

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[WJK]

Week Commencing Monday 08-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

New Business

I'm working on a new business for the last couple of weeks. I feel like I'm crazy and too old to start something new. BUT, this is just for the fun of it. I'm using art I did 30 years ago for the basic graphics, and starting it all again. I've spent two weeks sitting at my drafting table with my paints, brushes, and ink pens. I've now gotta do the not-so-fun part of building a website and learning to use the new equipment I have ordered.

The difference now compared to 30 years ago is that I can use my color copier/printer for the artwork -- no offset printers and companies involved. I have room in my little office building to house it. I can afford to buy the equipment I need to get it all started. I don't have to live off of the income from it -- succeed or fail. I just finished a 5-year government contract, sold a side business a couple of years ago, and streamlined my property management duties. I'm still super busy, but it's better. I have people to help me with the workload. And there are no gatekeepers to tell me no this time.

We have an amazing tourist trade here in Alaska that I'm targeting. By selling my products, we can travel around the State and see people while writing the travel off my income taxes. My career was on the road in California and I loved it. I moved here after I retired and my feet have been tied to the ground with my residential rental business for the last 21 years. It's time to do something fun.

This week I'm negotiating for some new equipment for the new gig. And some that I ordered should be in. I need to start to learn how to use it all. I have a few more supplies to order.

I'm starting to set up a new client contact list. In Los Angeles, I would have bought my list. Here it's a start-from-scratch project -- no compiled databases available to buy. I have the basic database program on my computer. I need to get it all set up and start entering data. (But, last week I did determine what program I needed and I'm ready to rock and roll). I got a list of active business licenses in my target category from the State website. Now I need to look up each one on Google. Then I'll call and talk to the merchandise buyer at that business to qualify them for my prospect database.

My off-site rehab job:

We're doing drywall & mudding to get ready to paint the interior walls and ceilings.

We had the kitchen designer do a new plan for the kitchen. We're weighing her suggestions.

The snow is melted enough to frame in the windward side of the new front porch/arctic entry. I hope to get that framed in and ready for the clear plastic panels this week.

 

[DonyaSze]

1) What will make you happy with progress this week? Finishing the 3rd zone for the forest section of my game demo.

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week? Marketing on social media.


3) What are you not doing but should be? Omg I need to study animation more omggggg.


4) Who will you help this week? Hopefully a pier, with something similar to what I'm doing.

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing? Sleeping in. So much sleeping. I do have like three different health conditions that make me sleepy, but I still don't like that I sleep so much haha.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I noticed that you are focused on making progress on a new book.

When will this book be published?

I don't know.

I usually don't set dates or make announcements until the rough draft is finished.

Right now I'm about 50% done.

 

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[harumi]

Week Commencing Monday 15-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?
This week -
Business: Get 3 active users on my app!
Health: Go to gym/swimming every morning! Been waking up at 5:30am compared to the usual 7am, which isn't as difficult as I imagined it to be.

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?
Listening to sales audiobooks + experimenting with copywriting.

3) What are you not doing but should be?
Restore my tidy routine! It's 5-10min a day.

4) Who will you help this week?
I'll help the 3 users I'll get!

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?
Maybe, going to the supermarket every day to cook food for myself. I like it, but it takes a lot of time. I will plan 2-3 days in advance and see how that works.

 

[Andy Black]

Week Commencing Monday 15-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?
This week -
Business: Get 3 active users on my app!
Health: Go to gym/swimming every morning! Been waking up at 5:30am compared to the usual 7am, which isn't as difficult as I imagined it to be.

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?
Listening to sales audiobooks + experimenting with copywriting.

3) What are you not doing but should be?
Restore my tidy routine! It's 5-10min a day.

4) Who will you help this week?
I'll help the 3 users I'll get!

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?
Maybe, going to the supermarket every day to cook food for myself. I like it, but it takes a lot of time. I will plan 2-3 days in advance and see how that works.

Thanks for starting this week off.

For "1) Get 3 active users" ... consider changing your goal from the outcome to the actions you need to do to get 3 active users. You can't really control whether you get 3 active users, but you can control the actions you'll take.

For example, maybe you determine/estimate that engaging daily in Facebook groups gets you into 2 DMs per day and 25% of those DMs result in someone becoming an active user. Then you'd get an active user every couple of days, so 3.5 per week. You've then determined your "solvable problem" (Get 3 active users per week by engaging in Facebook groups daily and getting into 2 DMs a day) and know what reps to put in.

 

[WJK]

Week Commencing Monday 22-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?




I was gone last week. It was a great trip to the "Lower 48". I worked on my new art business while I was gone.

This coming week:

My new art business:

I've found some different ways to market it. I'm really excited. I've done and redone a whole bunch of art for signs, stickers, buttons, and patches. It's fun. I'm doing new copyrights on everything. Some of the art I'm redoing dates back to as early as 1994 -- that's 30 years ago.

I got my new 10-pin embroidery sewing machine set up. Now I must learn to use it to make patches. I need a new chair for the machine -- a drafting chair that will go tall enough. (Buying that will require a trip to Anchorage this week.) I'm giving up one of my AirBnB sleeping rooms at my office to have a place to house and work on all of this new stuff.

I have a new sticker cutting machine in. I must learn to use it. They say it will talk to the new sewing machine. I haven't proven it yet.

The button-making machines should be in this week. They will make buttons, refer magnets, and key chains in two sizes. That's another learning curve.

I'll use my wood shop to do some new signs. The wood for the signs will be slabs from our sawmill. I'll have to get some wood dried out and ready to use. I want to update and colorize a bunch of the past designs.

I'm just about ready to launch this new business. I will be renting a booth for our first show. I have to apply this week for the booth for the June show. And for the next one the following week. The reason for this step is to have face-to-face time with customers. That will tell us everything about how to create and direct the business.

I will also do some online and wholesale marketing. My direction will be toward our tourist market in the beginning. I'll need to build a new website and an online store. I've built websites before, so I can do it again. I've already bought the domain name, and qualified and joined the "Made in Alaska" group. I'm adding this new venture to one of my existing business licenses.

My books:

I published two and working on a few more. The ones published are being well received.

My rental business:

I almost have a guy who has just about moved out. I asked him to move. I'll call him tomorrow and ask if he is finished. I have an application for a new tenant for that unit.

That business is rolling along.

My off-site rehab:

I should have a bid on the kitchen cabinets this week. While I was gone, the guys got the kitchen ceiling joists reinforced with beams. We no longer need a post in the kitchen to hold up the second floor. It's now a clear space.

The interior drywall is just about finished. We've used almost 100 sheets of drywall so far. We should be painting the interior soon. Then we'll lay the bathroom floors and set the plumbing fixtures. I'll need to find the right vanities for the 3 bathrooms and the right cabinets with countertops for the laundry room.

The snow is melting and we should be up to daytime highs around 50 degrees. We will be able to work on the outside soon. We have some staining to do for the roof structures we've built and a bunch of siding and trim to install. We've replaced most of the windows. We only have a couple more to go.

 

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[WJK]

Week Commencing Monday 29-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

.....

My new art business:

Last week, I got the button-making machines and supplies. Starting scanning the graphic art and making my first buttons.

I’ll get more graphics scanned and sized and put them in the templates this week. Putting them on the page was quite challenging until I figured out a system. Now it’s just another chore.

I’ll get some more copyrights filed this week.

On my big Bizhub machine at my main office, I got a new file made for all of these graphics in the user box. My goal is to save everything into that file and then print the sheets on demand. I can print and use the same graphics sheets for buttons, refer magnets, key chains, stickers, and clingies.

I’m designing a digital external hard drive for my backup files to plug into Bizhub if needed.It’s much better to be safe than sorry.

I started setting up my email address with my new domain name for the new business. I’ll get that finished up this week. When I get that new email set up, I can finish setting up the programs for the embroidery machine. I have already started taking the graphics and creating the graphics files for the patches and the cutting machine for the stickers.


My rentals:

I moved a guy out this last week. He left a big mess, and we started cleaning that unit. We’ll have it ready to go again in a couple of days. The tenant who moved was quite a troll. I am glad to see his tail lights. I have an app from another couple that I will run immediately.

Another couple are moving out. I’m sure they’ll leave a mess, too. I have others interested in it as soon as it’s ready. This problem mess comes with the business.

I’m current on my bookkeeping for the first time in months. Yeah!


My off-site rehab:

Still working on finishing the 3 bathrooms. Last week, we did a bunch of bull-nose drywall corners. We’re getting those bathrooms ready to paint. Then, we can install the flooring and start setting the bathroom fixtures.

The snow is melting. We’ll be able to work on the exterior soon.

 

[Andy Black]

Week Commencing Monday 29-Apr-24

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?

3) What are you not doing but should be?

4) Who will you help this week?

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?

.....

My new art business:

Last week, I got the button-making machines and supplies. Starting scanning the graphic art and making my first buttons.

I’ll get more graphics scanned and sized and put them in the templates this week. Putting them on the page was quite challenging until I figured out a system. Now it’s just another chore.

I’ll get some more copyrights filed this week.

On my big Bizhub machine at my main office, I got a new file made for all of these graphics in the user box. My goal is to save everything into that file and then print the sheets on demand. I can print and use the same graphics sheets for buttons, refer magnets, key chains, stickers, and clingies.

I’m designing a digital external hard drive for my backup files to plug into Bizhub if needed.It’s much better to be safe than sorry.

I started setting up my email address with my new domain name for the new business. I’ll get that finished up this week. When I get that new email set up, I can finish setting up the programs for the embroidery machine. I have already started taking the graphics and creating the graphics files for the patches and the cutting machine for the stickers.


My rentals:

I moved a guy out this last week. He left a big mess, and we started cleaning that unit. We’ll have it ready to go again in a couple of days. The tenant who moved was quite a troll. I am glad to see his tail lights. I have an app from another couple that I will run immediately.

Another couple are moving out. I’m sure they’ll leave a mess, too. I have others interested in it as soon as it’s ready. This problem mess comes with the business.

I’m current on my bookkeeping for the first time in months. Yeah!


My off-site rehab:

Still working on finishing the 3 bathrooms. Last week, we did a bunch of bull-nose drywall corners. We’re getting those bathrooms ready to paint. Then, we can install the flooring and start setting the bathroom fixtures.

The snow is melting. We’ll be able to work on the exterior soon.

Thanks for starting this week off @WJK .

Love reading your updates.

I've never been up to date with my book-keeper so well done!

And I like the way you just matter-of-fact deal with the mess left by outgoing tenants. I presume you just see it as the cost of doing business.

Where/how are you selling the buttons/art? (I can visualise what this is.)

 

[harumi]

1) What will make you happy with progress this week?
I've made an 'action list' which has been working out extremly well at making progress towards the goals, the format is as such -

What is it that I am doing?
Why am I doing it?
& Estimated Time this task should take if everything goes according to plan.

Some goals for this week -
1. What? - Fix minor bugs that's been discovered.
Why? - it negatively affects the user experience.
Estimated Time: 2-3hrs
2. What? - work on the import/export functionality
Why? - this feature has been requested from feedback & it's a big value add.
Estimated Time: 5-8hrs
3. What? - Switch to 'live mode' for payments
Why? - So I can recieve real payments
Estimated Time: 15min implementation & 1-2hrs testing
4. What? Update landing page with new section including screenshots of my app.
Why? To attract more users and showcase the product clearer.
Estimated Time: 2-3hrs

2) What are you doing to make a sale this week?
Actions, actions, actions!

3) What are you not doing but should be?
Organizing my notes, ideas into 1 place, at the moment it's a bit all over the place... and staying hydrated!

4) Who will you help this week?
We'll see, noone in particular is planned for this week.

5) What are you doing that you should NOT be doing?
Increasing my sleep debt!!

 

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[WJK]

Thanks for starting this week off @WJK .

Love reading your updates.

I've never been up to date with my book-keeper so well done!

And I like the way you just matter-of-fact deal with the mess left by outgoing tenants. I presume you just see it as the cost of doing business.

Where/how are you selling the buttons/art? (I can visualise what this is.)

I'm trying to get the bookkeeping down to an average of an hour or two per day. It's a tough job with all my rentals and different businesses. I've been paperless for years and I have good equipment to help me with the tasks. I've tried hiring people to do that job, but then I must check everything and supervise it anyway. It's easier to just do it myself. I also have a basic fear of letting anyone put their fingers into my pie.

The messes people leave me in the rentals are just part of doing that business. We have ways to make the cleanup easier. We don't put carpeting into the rentals -- we use sheet vinyl on the floors. We also staple that sheet vinyl to all of the shelves in the kitchen and elsewhere. That way those shelves are easier to wipe clean. We use the same color of paint on the interiors and it's always semi-gloss, which means we can wash off the mess and touch it up when possible.

I only did one eviction over the last year. I have gotten very good at talking people out of my units. The guy who moved last week moved without me having to file against me. I have a reputation for winning when I do file.

My button, sticker, and patch business was just for fun. It's starting to get serious. Everyone loves my graphics. I've purchased all the machines I need so I've spent a lot of money on the start-up. The biggest expense was the 10-pin, commercial embroidery machine. And the business is really coming together. I'm using a current business license and business name. This whole thing is an old idea. I'm using the art I've done over the last 30+ years. 4 color printing for the graphics used to be very hard and expensive. Now I can do it using my computer and big printer rather than having to send it out to an offset printer. It's all in the timing.

I'm booking booths at 2 local shows in June and shows during our fishing season. We are in a major tourist designation. I'm also creating a database for gift stores all over Alaska for our heavy tourist trade areas. I have been approved to use our "Made in Alaska" designation and logo for our state. And I'm a woman-owned business. The reason for starting with the local booths is so my assistants and I can talk to customers to get a reading on merchandising and marketing -- and find out their favorites. In the meantime, I need to build a new website and online store. It's a busy moment for me.

I have contacts in two major distribution systems here in the state. I can tap either, but I'm worried they will steal my designs and get the merchandise made in China -- regardless of my copyrights. I know that getting knocked off is a real danger when dealing with a major distributor. Also, I want to sell to individual gift stores, so I would have to develop a line of merchandise for those distributors.