Can you really do it all?
Why do internet marketers work their butts off only to feel like they’ve accomplished nothing?
Here are some insights:
- Our society places a high value on doing whatever needs to be done
- Those that can’t do everything are seen as deficient or weak
- Our media paints pictures of successful entrepreneurs being hard-core workaholics
- Entrepreneurs can be too self-sufficient which also fosters suspicion of outsiders
In short, we are conditioned from a young age that we can’t always do things that we like. Unfortunately, doing the things we like and excel at is key to success in business and life.
Now, I’m not saying the secret is to only do things we find enjoyable. Nor am I suggesting that we should try to outsource everything we don’t have a true passion for.
My message here is a simple one:
- Take a look at all the jobs you do everyday
- Find the ones you love to do and those you hate to do.
- Make a list of each
- Outsource as many of the things you hate to do as you can
- For the dislikes, be sure you set strict regular daily time limits on them
- That way, you’re not gumming up your creative mind with chores that test your patience and rob you of time to work on things that really energize you
- Re-examine your task list monthly to make sure your not wasting time.
Your main goal is not to be drowned by the “must do” tasks and end up with no time for the “love to do” ones.
What’s this got to do with washing machines?
I knew you were going to ask : )
One of my favorite movies of all time is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. For those of you who may not remember, Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold, a Food Additive Designer with a tendency towards obssessive compulsive behavior who is trying to have the ultimate family Christmas gathering at his home. He wants everything to be both perfect and done in a huge way.
Do you see where this is leading?
Anyway, one of the holiday traditions he decides he is going to start is decorating the house with lights. Did I say decorating? I meant to say encasing his home in 25,000 twinkle lights! The gutters, the roof and seemingly any open space on the house would be covered.
He starts off on the right foot by asking his son to untangle the huge ball of lights (outsourcing), something he clearly has no patience for. Where he goes wrong is deciding that he must hang (or attach) EVERY SINGLE BULB himself. Let me explain why this was a bad choice for Clark.
Clark has shown throughout his life and career a flair for creating things for other people to produce. He didn’t win Food Additive Designer of The Year by making millions of batches of the chemicals he dreamed up. He found a need (niche), created a means to satisfy it (product) and passed it off to the people who are best at bringing it to the consumer (production, sales, marketing).
So, after repeated failures we are left with the dialogue between Clark’s in-laws and his daughter that sparked this whole article. Standing in front of the house, Clark has just unsuccessfully tried (again) to get the outside lights to light.
Here’s the clip:
Clark failed because he tried to do it all. He would have done much better to plan out what he wanted done (his strength) and hire people to accomplish all tasks except the ones he was really good at or really enjoyed doing.
To answer the earlier question: no, we really can’t do it all. Learn from Clark Griswold and don’t fail because you think you have to.
Don’t be a washing machine entrepreneur.
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Best,
[tags]national lampoon christmas vacation,clark griswold,outsourcing,production,sales,marketing[/tags]
Wow, Jeff!
You really nailed this one. Your writing just gets better and better.
And your point is well-taken. I've been beating myself up lately because I DO try to do it all, but that's in part because one must either have the funds to pay someone else to pick up the slack, or find like-minded people who “play” at what we struggle with.
Your solution is so practical. Make lists a nd go from there. I love it!
I can do this.
Thanks for another great article. I stumbled and delicioused this one. Couldn't get Digg to take. I need to reboot, I think.
Deb Gallardo
Great post Jeff. It's a message that needs to be heard in a day and age of people believing they have to do everything themselves.
I, for one, need to be reminded of this as I am constantly trying to do everything. I get so involved in things (trying to do every minute detail myself) that I eventually end up getting frustrated, burnt out, and passionless.
Your tips are very practical and to the point. Thanks for the reminder!
Tim,
I'm totally with you on this. It's the main reason I wrote the
article. It was a point that kept cropping up with the various guest
speakers on the Black Ink Project. The super-successful ones had a
team. And no, they didn't always have a team but they made building
one a priority and kept adding members as their income allowed.
One man or woman cannot do all that needs done in online marketing-
period.
Somehow, switching from Bloglines to Google reader I lost your feed.
I'm going to go get it now because I have some catching up to do on
you internet marketing advertising series.
I dugg the number 10 post and sent you a shout on digg too.
Jeff
Thank you, Deb, for all your encouragement.
Sorry I haven't been around for a while but I'm knee-deep in getting
a site ready for an early July launch.
I am following your feed in Google.
Believe me…I know about the funds thing. That's one of the reasons
I wrote the article because it had been weighing on my mind lately.
I've been spinning my wheels trying to do everything and just getting
disappointed.
I have selected at least one task that I will definitely not be doing
for this site at least initially.
How is your ebook working to build your list?
Jeff
Thanks for this all-ways timely reminder, Jeff!
Great article — well-done!
All the best in your upcoming site launch. 🙂
Getting ready to get-ready to do similar, which is why I'm especially glad to read this!
<SIGH>
All the best!
Becky Cortino
Hi Becky,
Thanks for your support. Good luck with your site as well.
BTW, does “getting ready to get-ready” mean you're in the research phase? If so, give yourself a pat on the back for accomplishing something and don't fall into that trap of “I haven't done anything until it's finished.” Every step is a goal and job well done. Celebrate it.
Also, I would sign-up for Disqus. It is another social media site were you can take your profile with you to all the sites that use it and gain friends and points and do reviews. It's very cool and I've seen a lot of big name sites going to it.
And I don't make anything from recommending it. At least I'm not signed up for their affiliate program.
http://www.disqus.com
Maybe I should take my own advice? hehehehehehe
Best,
Jeff
Hi Becky,
Thanks for your support. Good luck with your site as well.
BTW, does “getting ready to get-ready” mean you're in the research phase? If so, give yourself a pat on the back for accomplishing something and don't fall into that trap of “I haven't done anything until it's finished.” Every step is a goal and job well done. Celebrate it.
Also, I would sign-up for Disqus. It is another social media site were you can take your profile with you to all the sites that use it and gain friends and points and do reviews. It's very cool and I've seen a lot of big name sites going to it.
And I don't make anything from recommending it. At least I'm not signed up for their affiliate program.
http://www.disqus.com
Maybe I should take my own advice? hehehehehehe
Best,
Jeff