[Issue 29] What You Should Be Doing Next
Ignore everyone else; do this to get clarity on what’s next for you.
[Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash]
The Odysseus Files, Issue 29
Playing Your Own Game, Part 6
Is This Holding You Back?
Last week I invited you to share some of your challenges & frustrations in your business and in your experience with other business/marketing content out there today.
As I suspected, 75% of respondents said their biggest barrier is a lack of clarity on what they should be working on next. Getting distracted and losing focus on the key things that will drive your business forward is all too easy to do, especially if what you’re doing now doesn’t seem to be working.
First, I feel that - acutely. (Just scroll through some of my recent WhatsApp convos.)
Want an outside ear to bounce ideas off of?
(Or to go deeper? Like how I recently helped one client create a 90-day action plan rooted in a new strategic direction for her business.)
Hit “reply” and we’ll talk.
Second, how do you pick what you SHOULD focus on?
Unblocking Focus: The Necessity of Sacrifice
Constraints unlock creativity.1
We can back up a step and apply this principle at the strategic level as well.
Focus is inherently giving up all of the other things you could be doing. Without focus, you’re trying to do too much, jumping from one thing to another, forgoing the opportunity to stimulate momentum. (An act of sacrifice itself, ironically.)
The cost of NOT intentionally deciding what you will sacrifice is too high. You literally can’t afford it.
But choosing what to sacrifice and what to focus on gets easier when you identify and adhere to a set of constraints.
How to Identify Your Constraints
Start with you.
What feels like a chore to work on?
What can you easily get lost in? That you could do even if you didn’t get paid for it?
What are you looking to get out of your business? How does this balance against what you want for your lifestyle?
Next, use these answers to arrive at the core “theme” of your business. What type of business do you run? (The primary thing you do. More of a structural category than defining how you help people.)
You might have multiple offers or ways of making money (consulting vs advertising vs book sales, for example), but one of these will be dominant, while the others play a more supportive role.
If you’ve picked the “right” theme, it will align with the answers to the questions above: it will involve work you enjoy, it will have the capacity to provide the time and/or money needed for your lifestyle goals, etcetera.
Third, recognize that your chosen category (or niche, theme, or whatever else you find it helpful to call it) defines your objectives that you will need to optimize for.
(Without structuring your business to hit these objectives, you lack focus, and therefore won’t see any progress.)
For example, if your core theme is coaching or consulting, choosing to optimize for a large newsletter audience would not be an aligned objective. Instead, you would prioritize building a small audience of specific potential clients who need what you offer and have money to pay for it, then use your content to demonstrate thought leadership.
Fourth, test your objectives. Specifically, double check that they align with your stated brand values, the work you enjoy doing, and your brand’s USP.
For instance, one client recently decided to optimize for selling advertising in one of her newsletters. Meaning, she’ll need to start out growing a sizable, engaged readership, then prioritize sourcing advertisers and selling ad space as her primary focus. If it turns out she hates constantly pitching ad space, the lack of alignment will trigger burnout. Alternatively, if ad sales aligns with all three of the above standards, this can grow into a sustainable newsletter business.
Finally, make a list of constraints implied by your objectives. If your primary objective is ad sales, most of your actions should contribute to growing an audience of ideal customers for the type of advertiser you’re looking for. Building out a bunch of your own offers, doing freelancing on the side, etcetera are all a distraction.
Sometimes, a necessary distraction, of course. You have to pay the bills, after all. Just pay attention to the balance between the hustle needed to put food on the table and the value that comes from working towards those long term objectives.
Using Your Constraints Productively
Your constraints list will give you a lot of things you SHOULDN’T be doing.
And, by process of elimination, a few things you should be. These are the pillars of your business.
Now, when other tasks, opportunities, or ideas come across your desk, you’ve got a quick and dirty framework to decide whether to pursue them: do they support one of your pillars?
No? Ignore them. At least for now.
Once your focus starts to pay off and build momentum, you’ll be able to diversify a bit more.
(Sort of like how, in the Acropolis Model, once you’ve built your acropolis, you can start adding other features to your new city to attract residents.)
But for now, double down on what matters most to moving you forward.
P.S. - Need help sorting through this? Let’s talk.
Josh Spector, “40 One-Sentence Creativity Tips.” Also, Seth Godin, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work (cited in Josh Spector, “How to Ship Creative Work”).