Death Over Dawdling

Time to focus on your business. Follow these steps to get closer to your goal.

I was participating in a mandatory course at work. Several hours of talking, from which I got nothing in return. I was bored beyond limits. Why do I keep doing this? Why haven’t I committed to my own business? I can’t continue this, to stay bored throughout my days. It’s time to stop fooling around. It’s time for a change!

Is this recognizable? Do you want a change and start growing a business? Join me, and let’s support each other.

Forgive and Forget

I get the frustrating feeling when you don’t accomplish the things you think you should do. Or at least, you hope you find time for doing. But the time never comes. I have a master’s in procrastination and a bachelor’s in beginner’s doubts. It’s time to put an end to the destructive behavior right now. There’s no way we can change the past, but it doesn’t define who we can become in the future.

Say goodbye to dawdling and welcome focused work and productivity.

Ready?

Nothing is going to happen before you make an actionable plan. A plan you are satisfied with and believe in.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Figure out what do you want

Do you have a goal and a plan on how to get there? Does it need adjustment? Concretizing? Or maybe you have to start from scratch and figure out what you want to do?

No one should tell you what YOUR business should look like. It’s your business, and you have to own and believe in your plan.

What do you want? What is your calling? Get perspective. Take a step back to see the whole picture.

Start planning. Make overall plans and short-term plans. Do your planning in a way that increases your likelihood of success. What do you need to get started? I know you have it in you. We are all unlike and approach a task differently.

To get somewhere, you have to start moving. Make it simple in the beginning. Evolve. Be open to changes along the way. Keep revision.

My plan

I love being creative and being able to control how I spend my days. My goal is to make a living by being a content creator. I’ve started writing articles this year, and I find it very fulfilling. It’s a great way to improve my writing skills, necessary for reaching my goal.

I can’t live off the income from my writing, as I earned $0.67 last month. It is pretty obvious I need more income streams. I will start at least two blogs. To save time, I want to repurpose my stories between writing platforms and blogs. Hopefully, I will make (more) money from revenue share platforms and affiliates August Birch has written an informative story with income streams to look at, 12 Income Streams Every Writer Should Consider.

My goal for the next year:

• Consistent writing new stories. Publish at least two stories per week.
• Start two blogs, one book blog and one about planning/self-improvement.
• Start collecting emails for my list.

4 Steps to achieve your goal

1. Know your weakness

Be honest about bad habits that hold you back. The book The Power of Habit can be helpful if you need to change some of your habits.

I get up every morning, determined to start writing early. I make myself a cup of coffee and get settled in front of my computer. And then …. I check my stocks. Every freaking day. Just writing this makes me embarrassed.

2. Plan your week

At the beginning of every week, make a specific plan for your work. Remember always to have your goal in mind when you decide how to best use your time.

3. Work Deeply

Cal Newport has written an invaluable book called Deep Work. Read it and find practical steps to be more effective. I’ve written a story about his four rules for deep work in the story Get Out of Hibernate Mode and Start Producing Content.

4. Seek knowledge WHEN needed

I thought I had to learn everything I possibly could be needed in advance. It resulted in chaos in my head and my notes. Nothing productive got done. Overload of information made it easier to procrastinate. Seek knowledge when you need it to progress.

To summarize

Stop dawdling around and join me in a fresh start for our business. Forgive yourself for your previous lack of focus and progress. Find your calling, your passion. Define your goal and make a plan for how to reach it. Things change in the process, so be ready to make adjustments.

Try these steps to achieve your goal: know your weakness, plan your week, work deeply and seek knowledge when you need it in your process.

No more bored beyond limits. We can do this!

This story is written in response to Elizabeth Dawber’s *Flash* Call For Submissions in Start it up.

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